The five girls, three of whom are cheerleaders, were identified as Weber High School students, according to Weber School District spokesman Lane Findlay. The video, recorded a year ago, shows the girls saying gibberish that sounds like "surgeon cuff," which, when played backward through an app, sounds like "f*ck n***ers." A year later, the video was posted on Instagram by one of the girls and was widely circulated across social media Monday night.
"The video was then possibly uploaded into an app that plays it backwards, producing an entirely different-sound phrase. In this case, a very derogatory, offensive racial slur," Findlay explained.
"Behavior like this, whatever their intentions were, whether they were just goofing around or whatever, it's unacceptable. It just can't happen," the school district spokesman said, Deseret News reported.
"We just want people to know it will be taken very seriously, and appropriate action will be taken."
However, in a written statement, Findlay also added that the video does not warrant threats toward the students and their families.
"Hatred only breeds hatred. These are teenagers who made a big mistake, and they will be held [accountable]. Please be patient and reasonable as we deal with this situation," Findlay said.
Many students who viewed the video have claimed that regardless of whether the girls were saying "surgeon cuff" or "f*ck n***ers," the intention is the same.
Findlay also told the Deseret News that the students risk being expelled or kicked off the cheerleading team.
"All of those things would be on the table. Obviously, they knew what they were doing. It's just completely inappropriate," Findlay said.
