Student who kneeled on teen's neck is disciplined by school

A New Orleans student was disciplined over a photo that showed him kneeling on the neck of another teenager, according to local media outlets.

Holy Cross School, a boys' K-12 college-preparatory school, addressed the incident in a statement Monday on social media.

"It has come to our attention that a photo with caption was posted earlier on social media pages of an individual in our school sweatshirt displaying actions unbecoming of a Holy Cross Man," the school said.

"The individual has been identified, his parents have been notified, and appropriate actions have been taken. The post has been taken down. We are, however, aware that screenshots are still circulating," the statement continued.

The picture shows a male teenager wearing a Holy Cross sweatshirt kneeling on the neck and cheek of another teen boy who appears to be lying face down at a beach, according to NOLA.com. The outlet reported that both of the teens are white.

NBC News has not viewed the photograph, and the school declined Tuesday to specify how the student involved was disciplined, saying it goes against its policy to "release the names, grade level, any information, or discipline records of any current or former students."

Candice Williams, whose son attends the school, told NOLA.com that the photo reminded her of the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis police custody after an officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.

She posted the photo on her personal Facebook page and in a group for Holy Cross parents.

“I wanted to post this to bring awareness to the other parents, to let them know to speak to their children and teach them about diversity and being empathetic to other races,” Williams, who is Black, told the outlet.

“This is a great opportunity for Holy Cross to teach the students to be accepting of all races and cultures,” she said.

Holy Cross said in its statement that it "will not tolerate violence, harassment, or discrimination in any form based on race, color, national origin, age, religion, sex or disability - or against anyone for any reason."

"We would like to encourage parents to be cognizant of not only social media posts and trends but also the whereabouts and activities of their children," the school said.