Students in an AP English class at North County High School were assigned to write an essay to better understand satirical writing, but many people in the community feel that one essay took it too far.
About 60 students, parents and people from the Glen Burnie area attended a town hall Monday night.
"I feel as though the situation has gotten way out of hand and has students of North County we've tolerated things like this for way too long," said North County junior Angelia Rodriguez.
The essay made the rounds on social media last week.
The assignment was to write a satirical paper modeled from Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal," written in 1729 it suggests poor people sell their babies to the rich to eat.
The student's version proposes sending African Americans to a desert to be killed. Racial tension is sweeping the school.
"The assignment was done, but it wasn't satire, it was offensive and there are limitations to what should be written in school and what should be said in school," said North County sophomore, Lexus Jackson.
Students say the halls of North County have a history of racism.
"I realize there are a whole host of issues that really obviously are unresolved and unaddressed and I believe unfortunately this essay sort of raised a powder keg of issues," said parent Gardnel Dyson.
Monday's town hall meeting was hosted by the Anne Arundel County branch of the NAACP and the caucus of African American leaders. They want students and parents to keep talking about these issues.
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