BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. — An 18-year-old accused of using racial slurs and sending threatening messages on social media has been arrested and charged.
Although this stems from an altercation that happened last week at Cass High, the Bartow County Sheriff's Office said the suspect, Jacob Clifford Scarborough, has no known ties to the school district or any of the students.
Deputies said Scarborough is charged with cruelty to children in the first degree, harassing phone calls; form of electronic communication, and terroristic threats.
According to the sheriff's office, their deputies and Bartow County Campus Police were investigating an incident at Cass High on August 24 "which stemmed from the current political environment in the U.S." and several students were expelled following an altercation.
Scarborough allegedly sent several messages directly to a victim through Snapchat and Instagram "threatening to cause harm to the juvenile upon her returning to school, harming African Americans, and other derogatory racial slurs."
He was taken into custody Monday in Hart County and will be taken to the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office Adult Detention Center.
Last week, 11Alive reported that an altercation happened at Cass High when a group of students brought flags supporting President Donald Trump to school, and another group took offense. Video posted to Facebook by Bartow News & Emergencies alluded to fights that were taking place at the school as a result of the flags.
"This type of behavior, which distracts from the learning environment, is not and will not be tolerated on school grounds," Bartow County School System spokesperson Alisha Evans said last week in a statement to 11Alive News. "Disciplinary action has been taken to ensure compliance with Bartow County School System's Code of Conduct and high standards of behavior."