UNC field hockey commit uses racial slur in Instagram Live video

Update, March 16, 1:50 p.m.: Raimo de Vries, Charlotte's father, posted an apology from his daughter on his Facebook page on Monday, March 12. He also tweeted the statement in four separate tweets.

"This has been a painful lesson for me," the statement reads. "I had no right hurting people. I truly hope that my thoughtlessness is a lesson for others, as it has been for me, that words do matter and that they can be hurtful."

The full statement can be read below in Tweet form. Raimo de Vries' Facebook page was set to private and the statement can no longer be read there.

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On Tuesday night, a video emerged of Charlotte de Vries, a North Carolina field hockey commit, using a racial slur.

De Vries is a junior at Conestoga High School in Wayne, Pa. In an Instagram Live video, which was screen-recorded and tweeted by a fellow student at Conestoga, de Vries is sitting in a car with another girl. In the waning seconds of the video, the other girl says "N*****" and de Vries then blurts out “N*****! N***** on a Tuesday!”

The video can be watched here.

On Thursday, superintendent of schools Dr. Richard Gusick posted the following message on the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District’s website:

Dear T/E Families,

Yesterday the District was informed by community members about a social media video posted by two Conestoga High School students containing racially offensive language. T/E School District strongly condemns this and all forms of racist language. Although this video was not made during school, it has hurt and offended many in our school community. This is unacceptable behavior, and it will not be tolerated. The school will investigate fully and apply consequences as appropriate. T/E School District will continue to stand for respect and inclusion, with schools where all are welcomed to learn and grow.

In a phone call with The Daily Tar Heel, school spokesperson Christine Conolly said she could not discuss any specifics, including punishment, for privacy reasons.

The video sparked outrage among the UNC community on Thursday night, when a quote tweet of the original video went viral and even drew the attention of former men’s basketball player Nate Britt.

Robbi Pickeral Evans, associate athletic director for strategic communications, said in an email to The DTH that UNC is limited by NCAA rules and cannot talk about specific recruits until they sign with the university. De Vries committed to the field hockey team in November of 2016, when she was a sophomore, but has not yet signed a national letter of intent.

“This video does not include a UNC student,” a University spokesperson said a later statement. “We condemn the use of racial slurs in any setting.”

De Vries is also on the U-19 roster of the 2018 USA Field Hockey roster. USA Field Hockey tweeted a statement on Friday and said it has suspended de Vries.

The Black Student Movement at UNC also issued a statement via its Twitter.

The same student who tweeted the original video said in a Tweet on Thursday that de Vries and the other girl in the video had been suspended from Conestoga.

The DTH contacted de Vries over Facebook for a comment, but she had not responded by publication time.

@chapelfowler

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com