On 11/03/21, a School Resource Officer informed the Janesville Police Department of a racist image being circulated on social media. The post compares local student athletes on a football field with racist and violent historical imagery.
The Janesville Police Department consulted with the Milton Police Department determining this act originated in the City of Janesville by a Milton High School student. This investigation is on-going and a detective has been assigned to the case. Interviews with involved parties are actively underway.
Our investigation, to this point, has determined that both student athletes depicted in the meme are juveniles and that neither participated in the creation or distribution of it.
As it relates to the student that created the racist image, this individual is also a juvenile. The image was circulated using the social media platform, Snapchat.
The Janesville Police Department would like to express our support to the two student athletes portrayed in the image and their families. Their photographs were used without their consent in the creation of this racist image.
The Janesville Police Department recognizes the depicted meme to be offensive and identifies this form of racism has no place in our community. We will continue to investigate this matter and will provide an update at its conclusion.
The Janesville Police Department has worked cooperatively with the Milton Police Department, School District of Milton, and the School District of Janesville during this investigation.
| Incident Number: JV2155575 |
| Location: 3125 Mineral Point Ave. Janesville, WI |
| By: Lieutenant Joshua Norem (608)755-3132 |
| Date: 11/03/21 |
