(Doug Cope/WBZ NewsRadio 1030)
BROOKLINE (WBZ-AM/AP) -- Brookline High School students staged a walkout and protest Thursday morning after students were captured making racial slurs in a Snapchat video.
"This is not just a protest for us," one student told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Doug Cope. "For a person of color, this is our life we're fighting for right now. We've been fighting for too long, and we're going to keep fighting until the end."
In a letter released Wednesday, Brookline High School officials say two "deeply disturbing" videos were made by current and former students at the school.
"They were repeatedly saying the 'N' word, hard 'r,' over and over and over again, and they sent it to a student of color," Junior Shania Clouden told WBZ-TV.
Clouden said two current students and one former student were in the video, and added that they addressed the student by name and made reference to an honors program at the school.
Hundreds of students--nearly the entire student body--left class at 9 a.m. and gathered on the school steps.
Senior Yama Esteme said the students wanted to raise awareness of racism that exists at the school.
"We are not what these people in the video say we are," she said. "We're human, we're people of color who are highly educated, who are disrespected, who are really hating what they're saying about us.
School Superintendent Andrew Bott said school officials need to work harder to combat this ongoing issue.
"I fully support the students in their action today, and look forward to everyone in the district continuing to work with our students and our families and our community going forward," he said. "The high school has been working for the last year and a half on a number of really important steps, and as you heard from kids, it's not enough."
The school says it has identified the individuals in the first video, and it is currently investigating the second video.
It said disciplinary action is being sought against the students, but did not specify how the students will be disciplined.
The Brookline superintendent sent out a letter to parents, indicating that an investigation is underway.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Doug Cope reports