Recently, several students at Harrison High School shared a social media photo involving balloons arranged to resemble a racial slur. The N- word.  

According to classmates, the balloons had originally been part of a graduation display that read “Congratulations Seniors” before being rearranged for the offensive image. When confronted, the students reportedly claimed the balloons spelled “Niger,” the African nation, and dismissed the situation as a joke. 

The authorities were not amused. 

The reaction across Colorado Springs was immediate. The political friction happened fast. CAIR-CO publicly condemned the image, while the area’s state representative criticized the behavior and called for greater education surrounding racial hostility. 

District leadership responded quickly. Superintendent Dr. Wendy Birhanzel told families that hate speech and racial slurs have no place at Harrison High School. Harrison School District 2 officials confirmed the students involved would face consequences, though specific disciplinary actions were not released because the students are minors. 

But the conversation moved beyond the photo itself almost immediately. The question became “What do we do about this?” 

Some community members called for expulsion. Others argued the focus should be on education, or counseling.  

Others pressed for racial reconciliation instead of permanent punishment. Some suggested violence towards the students.  

The views were as varied as the groups of people watching the incident and its aftermath. For some families, the image was viewed as more than teenagers making bad choices. The racial slur involved carries generations of trauma connected to racial exclusion, humiliation, and violence.  

From that perspective, strong punishment feels necessary because minimizing the behavior risks normalizing it. 

Schools must create safety by avoiding racist behavior. Students of every race deserve to feel respected and protected inside a learning environment. 

Colorado law itself increasingly recognizes that hostile school environments, bullying, humiliation, and social targeting can carry lasting emotional consequences for students. Ashawnty’s Law addresses this problem. 

At its core, this law requires the Colorado Department of Education to create a statewide model of bullying prevention and education policy. There’s also an update every three years that involves stakeholders, including parents of bullied students – in the process.  

Looks like Harrison District 2 will be busy. A lot of Black students saw that picture.  

But I have a question … What outcome are we trying to produce? 

If the goal is only accountability, then consequences are the priority. Words and symbols carry weight. Racist behavior is not a joke. 

But if the goal is transformation, punishment alone is not enough. 

I graduated from Harrison High School. So have my grandchildren. I have watched racial tensions surfacing periodically connected to this school over several decades.  

This latest incident did not emerge in a vacuum.  

We all want Harrison to be safe for every student – regardless of race. We also want students who make harmful choices to be confronted honestly with what they have done. 

Accountability and restoration are not enemies. True justice takes both.  

Teenagers like the ones behind this slur are still developing emotionally. They may be capable of growth, remorse, and moral change. 

Can these students learn why the word they misspelled causes pain? Can these young people be held accountable while still being given a path to become more empathetic people?  

Those questions matter because schools are not only places of punishment. School can be a place to learn history, dignity, and respect.  

And not just regarding race.  

A generation ago, such reckless actions would have been contained within a small circle of peers or the immediate community. Today, driven by the rapid influence of social media, this offensive image circulated across the entire state in a matter of hours.  

This widespread exposure instantly transformed the teenagers involved from individuals who had made a mistake into public symbols.

Exposure amplifies the scrutiny they face. 

But we should avoid embracing cancel culture. Especially regarding children. That political dynamic only knows how to publicly shame, permanently label, and socially exile people. Cancel culture revolves around coercion – not conscience.  

We must, as “society,” show these young people there is a path back from serious failure. For all of us, regardless of race.  

And that may be the real challenge facing Harrison High School – and us. 

Rachel Stovall is a Colorado Springs event manager, entertainer and community advocate.