Mason Williams just wanted to play high school basketball in Texas. As a third-year varsity player, he’s used to pressure on the court—but he wasn’t prepared to see his face in an online video depicting him as a slave. Now, the person behind the offensive post just learned a hard lesson.
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Williams, a junior varsity basketball player for Burleson Centennial High School in Burleson, Texas, about 50 miles west of Dallas, was preparing for a playoff game against rival Birdville High School on Friday (Feb. 27) when he came across the disturbing social media post, local news station WFAA 8 reported.
A post on Instagram account Birdville Barstool showed Williams’ face edited over enslaved TV character Kunta Kinte from the 1977’s miniseries “Roots” during the scene where he was brutally beaten until he renounced his African name and identity.
“This was hateful. My son doesn’t really bother anybody— he just loves basketball. And he didn’t deserve this,” the 16-year-old’s mother, Divona Phillips, said. “He was like, ‘Mom, don’t cry. Don’t cry,’” Divona recalled, who said she was emotional while watching the video. “But it really hurt my feelings to see him portrayed as a slave.”
It didn’t take investigators long to identify the student they say was responsible for posting the clip. Within the first hour of investigating Monday, administrators identified a 16-year-old Birdville student on an open enrollment application as the culprit—and their consequences were swift.
The district removed the student from the school by revoking their application, according to WFAA 8. Birdville Independent School District also referred the matter to local law enforcement.
However, Birdville ISD officials said they do not believe the video was racially motivated WFAA 8 reported, but admitted they are “disappointed and outraged by the video. We deeply regret that the actions of one young, independent individual have caused harm to two school communities, and we condemn such behavior.”
The school system added that they are “embarrassed and appalled that such content would be tied to our community. This video does not reflect the standards, values, character or expectations we have for those who are attempting to associate with Birdville ISD in any capacity.”
The Burleson school district told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram how proud they are of Williams, who they said handled the situation with “grace and class.”
The offensive post has since been removed and the Instagram account was also taken down, according to the school district.
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