The Greater Sacramento NAACP is calling attention to the Placer Union High School District after months of supporting the family of Gabe Dickerson, a 17-year-old mixed-race student at Colfax High School who is autistic. Dickerson faced repeated racial harassment, sexualized bullying, and violent threats from his football teammates.
His parents say Dickerson in summer 2024 was the target of violent threats in a football group chat on Snapchat and via text messages. One video reportedly shows a student wearing a ski mask and brandishing what appears to be a semiautomatic rifle, saying, “Like what’s up with it, n*. I’ll shoot your dumb ass here and now, n*.”
Gabe’s parents immediately reported the threats to the school and district. Despite multiple videos, social media posts, texts, and emails showing a consistent pattern of harassment, the district’s investigation concluded with no consequences for the students involved. Sacramento NAACP Vice President LaMills Garrett reviewed the photo and video evidence, as well as other documentation provided to school administrators and the district’s investigator. He criticized the district for failing to hold the students accountable.
Garrett was baffled as to how the school and district could do nothing when a student who is autistic presents such evidence. “This behavior is not only a threat to this child and family, but to the entire school and community,” Garrett said, citing potential liability issues. He submitted a resolution urging Placer Union to adopt policies to protect students like Gabe, which he said the district ignored.
The harassment reportedly began during Dickerson’s sophomore year after he joined the football team. His parents said they were aware of early teasing and spoke with coaches several times, who reassured them it was typical locker-room behavior among teenage boys. But the harassment escalated, with teammates pressuring Gabe into making sexual remarks and mocking him for compliance. His parents said his neurodivergence made him particularly vulnerable to manipulation.
The football team attended a summer camp in summer 2024 at Dillon Beach, chaperoned by coaches. Gabe said he did not want to attend but was pressured by teammates, who told him he would be removed from the team if he refused. He described the camp as a source of dread. “I was told it was a required thing that I had to go, so I was dreading the entire time going because I’m more comfortable at home, and I like to stay on my usual schedule,” he said.
Gabe said the weekend quickly became abusive. One night involved a beating that lasted four hours, and the next night involved unwelcome touching. “I got there [his tent that night] and I’m immediately being hit by the guys in the tent … they kept hitting me,” he said. By the end of the weekend, Gabe said, he felt ashamed and overwhelmed, and suppressed the event.
That same summer, a teammate posted the video showing himself in a ski mask and brandishing what appeared to be a firearm while directing racial slurs and death threats at Gabe.
Even after leaving football, Gabe said the harassment persists. “I actually dread it sometimes. I dread going to school. I dread seeing those people,” he said. “The only time I’m feeling OK is, like, that first five seconds when I wake up. And after that, everything brushes back. I realize, oh, this happened, that happened.” He added that the students who harassed him still try to make themselves visible outside his classrooms.
Ben Dickerson, Gabe’s father, said he first learned in August 2024, months after it happened, about a particularly severe incident, “the whipping in the locker room” that included a racially charged verbal assault. He raised the issue with coaches before the first game. “They looked at me like I was nuts and said, ‘Well, we can’t control what people teach at home,’” he said. Despite support from his parents, Gabe quit the team.
Garrett proposed two resolutions to the school board, but board President Jessica Spaid declined to recommend approval. She said the district already maintains policies covering school climate, weapons, bullying, harassment, and hate-motivated behavior, along with safety plans, threat assessments, mental health support, anonymous reporting, and staff training. She told The OBSERVER that confidentiality rules prevent her from commenting on specific incidents, but emphasized that the district “takes every single report of discrimination, harassment, or threats to safety extremely seriously” and is “firmly committed to protecting every student’s safety and dignity.”
The school had a similar response five years ago when someone vandalized the vehicle of a Black coach from a visiting basketball team by writing a racial slur on the rear window.
The district’s investigation into the Dillon Beach incident found “insufficient evidence to conclude that Gabe’s teammates’ conduct was severe, pervasive, or objectively offensive.” The report described wrestling and roughhousing among students as “playful” and “consensual,” and stated that allegations of sexual touching were uncorroborated by witnesses.
It also noted that Gabe had engaged in sexually explicit messages and images on social media and repeated sexual comments to other students, which were deemed sufficiently severe to constitute sexual harassment. The district interviewed more than 20 students, including alleged participants and witnesses, as well as coaches. His parents said the report ignores videos, texts, and messages demonstrating a consistent pattern of harassment toward Gabe.
The California Department of Education reviewed the district’s investigation and determined it was insufficient. It found Placer Union’s investigation “failed to address all allegations pertaining to discrimination, harassment, intimidation and/or bullying on the basis of a protected characteristic” and directed the district to issue an amended report within 20 days. According to his parents, the district did not conduct a new investigation or issue the required amended report.
The district did not respond to questions regarding how it addresses violent threats, including the video showing a student wearing a ski mask and brandishing what appears to be a firearm aimed at Gabe Dickerson; how it considers a student’s individualized education program or mental health evaluation when evaluating alleged misconduct; or what consequences other students faced.
The OBSERVER also asked about broader school climate issues, including Confederate imagery displayed on campus. Spokesperson Sarah Rath said the tiles depicting Confederate flags were part of a senior project created about 30 years ago and only recently were identified. Because removing the tiles could damage surrounding ones, the district painted over the symbols. Rath said a review of other murals in the district is underway to ensure alignment with a safe and inclusive environment.
The mother of the student who made the video with the apparent semiautomatic rifle did not respond to requests for comment. Football coach Jason Stowers also did not respond. Interim Principal Trent Wilson, to whom The OBSERVER sent inquiries, declined to comment.
The Dickerson case highlights broader issues involving race, disability, and school safety. Autistic students may struggle to interpret social cues, making them vulnerable to coercion or manipulation. Mixed-race students in predominantly white schools may face compounded stress when symbols of hate are present. In Gabe’s case, his neurodivergence and race intersected with an environment that his parents and the NAACP said failed to address repeated threats and abuse.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has referred the threats made in the video to the district attorney’s office and while no charges have been filed, the incident is under investigation.
For Gabe, the consequences of the harassment are ongoing. He graduates in spring, but continues to experience anxiety and trauma related to his experience on the football team and is still harassed by his former teammates.
The Dickersons had hoped the school would recognize the vulnerabilities autistic children face in social and athletic environments. They have filed a civil lawsuit in Placer County Superior Court against the district, a suit the court has yet to accept.
Garrett echoed that concern, describing the “burden that a neurodivergent child faces in seeking to move through high school and wanting to be accepted.” He argued that neurodivergent students are eager to fit in, which creates vulnerability that can be easily exploited, as students with autism are likely to see abhorrent behavior as acceptable.
At its June 3 board meeting, Placer Union voted to remove its equity policy, citing alignment with federal directives. The policy had previously committed the district to “creating a welcoming culture and inclusive environment that addresses historical biases” and reflects all students, staff, families, and communities. Advocates say removal of the policy, combined with the district’s dismissal of Dickerson’s experiences, raises concerns about whether discrimination may continue unchecked.
Support for this Sacramento OBSERVER article was provided to Word In Black (WIB) by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. WIB is a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media that includes print and digital partners.