White girls from Utah stage mock lynching on social media to mark ‘national n*gger day’

Two students at Hurricane High School Utah are facing disciplinary action after posting a racist photo on Instagram on Martin Luther King Day that wished people a "happy national n*gger day."

As local news station KUTV reports, the photo features a girl with a noose around her neck and with red Xs superimposed over her eyes.

Steven Dunham, the director of public relations at the Washington County School district, said that two students responsible for the photo were being punished for their actions, although he did not outline what the consequences for the photo were.

"We have a safe schools policy and if they are not making other students feel safe in our own schools, in our own community, [there] is significant in the punishments that they could face," he told KUTV.

Hurricane High School principal Jody Rich slammed the students' "thoughtless actions" and urged students to reflect upon the importance of tolerance on Martin Luther King Day.

"Dr. King said, 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that,'" Rich told students. "If our school is known for anything it is known for being a place where everyone feels loved and accepted."