An Episcopal School of Dallas sophomore recently faced a racial remark at the hand of an unnamed Highland Park sophomore.

Gabriel Letcher, an African-American sophomore on ESD’s lacrosse team, commented on the racial remarks on his Twitter account.

“It breaks my heart to see this,” Letcher wrote. “In 2019, people of color like myself still have to deal with racism and prejudice.”

After a March 29 lacrosse match between ESD and Highland Park, an Instagram user commented on a photo that showed lacrosse players from ESD and Highland Park during a game. The original post simply stated “Beat ESD.”

Another user then commented, “[Letcher] could kick your a**,” Preston Hollow People reported.

The unnamed Highland Park sophomore then responded with, “U mean pick my cotton.”

The Highland Park student is on the school’s varsity tennis team. Letcher told Preston Hollow People that the two had never met until the incident. After the comments online, the two students met to clear the air.

“What he said was that this is something that he and friends said, that he didn’t understand the meaning behind it,” Letcher told Preston Hollow People. “It was shocking. It was hurtful … I don’t know where it came from because I don’t know the kid.”

Highland Park ISD issued a statement that condemned the sophomore’s comment and commending the students who reported the incident to administration. The statement, as reported in Preston Hollow People, did not mention whether the student will face consequences.

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