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Naperville Police Open Hate Crime Investigation After Racist Post Involving 2 Students

Parents said a note was sent home about the incident Friday

Update: One student has now been charged with a hate crime. Read more here
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Police have launched a hate crime investigation into a racist Internet post involving two Naperville Central High School students, authorities said Monday. 

"We are working closely with the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office and will provide an update on our investigation once it is complete," the Naperville Police Department wrtoe on Facebook. 

School officials told NBC 5 Monday that students at the school were disciplined after a “racially insensitive electronic post” surfaced.

Naperville District 203 said the high school’s administration became aware of the post and “took swift and appropriate action steps to address this situation and the students involved.”

Parents said a note was sent home about the incident Friday.

Schools officials did not specify what the incident involved, but a parent sent NBC 5 a screenshot of what appeared to be a Craigslist ad featuring a photo of a young black student with the subject “Slave for sale (NAPERVILLE).”

The school would not reveal how many students were disciplined due to the incident or what that discipline involved but said “as a district, we follow the principles of restorative practice to address and repair harm.”

“NCHS administrators have a plan in place when school resumes [Monday] to address this issue with the entire student population, as well as offering additional support for students who need it,” the district said in a statement, adding that it is “committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all students” and “racial discrimination and hateful acts are never acceptable.”

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