Venice Middle School students disciplined after chanting '(****) Joe Biden,' drawing swastika

Ryan McKinnon, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·1 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

A group of Venice Middle School students in the Sarasota County School District has been disciplined after chanting "(expletive) Joe Biden" on the school bus last week, and one student drew a swastika on the bus window, according to school district leaders.

According to district spokesman Craig Maniglia, five students received disciplinary referrals for inappropriate language for taking part in the chant, which has gained increased attention recently after a euphemism for the phrase, "Let's Go Brandon" started trending.

The school principal sent a letter home to the parent of the boy who started the chant, and Maniglia said they were "very supportive" of the school's disciplinary action.

Related: 'Let's go, Brandon' secretly insults President Biden

Maniglia said one student participating in the chant also drew a swastika symbol in condensation on the window.

"We took it very seriously," said Steve Cantees, the district's director of secondary education. "We appreciated the community member that brought the information forward."

A group of Venice Middle School students in the Sarasota County School District has been disciplined after chanting "(expletive) Joe Biden" on a school bus similar to this one, and one student drew a swastika on the bus window, according to school district leaders.
A group of Venice Middle School students in the Sarasota County School District has been disciplined after chanting "(expletive) Joe Biden" on a school bus similar to this one, and one student drew a swastika on the bus window, according to school district leaders.

A discipline referral includes a range of punishments. Due to student privacy concerns, the school district did not say what punishment accompanied the referral or identify the students involved.

The student who reported the incident was offended by the language, school officials said. Based on school district procedures, a student in that situation would receive counsel and have the opportunity to receive a Hope Scholarship, which is a state scholarship program for victims of bullying or harassment to attend a private school.

School officials could not confirm if the student had been offered the scholarship.

Ryan McKinnon covers schools for the Herald-Tribune. Connect with him at ryan.mckinnon@heraldtribune.com or on Twitter: @JRMcKinnon. Support the Sarasota Herald-Tribune by subscribing today.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: '(Expletive) Joe Biden' chant gets Venice Middle School students in trouble