CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The NAACP branches of Richmond and Chesterfield are calling out what they say is a pattern of racial incidents, after a Chesterfield County student posted an altered image targeting a Richmond student. The social media post shows a Huguenot High School football p layer's face superimposed on the body of 18-year-old Nolan Wells. Authorities said the Mississippi teen drowned while on a Fourth of July boating trip with friends off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Wells was the only Black person in the group. Circumstances around his death have since made national headlines over suspicions that foul play was involved. 8News cannot show the post, but social media users have reposted the image while appalled. Midlothian High School Principal Shawn Abel said the post was made by a student off campus, who is not a Midlothian football player. Both Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) and Richmond Public Schools (RPS) have condemned the posts. ‘Disgusted’: Chesterfield parent calls for justice after Nolan Wells deepfake posted by student In a joint press conference on Thursday, Oct. 1, NAACP presidents from Chesterfield and Richmond said the incident heightened their concerns about the safety and well-being of those affected. “It was just low down dirty... just trashy to even think to do something like that,” said J.J. Miner, president of the Richmond NAACP. “It is unacceptable," said Nicole Martin, president of the Chesterfield NAACP. "It is disgusting, and our leadership has to do something about it." Martin said the image took planning and that the person who created it should have considered its impact. “They intended to do this because it took work to do that," Martin said. "The photo… that took thought. So the intention was there, but yet they did not think about the impact that it’s going to cause." Both NAACP leaders said the post is part of what they describe as a broader pattern of racial incidents at Midlothian High School, pointing to another incident from last year. On Sept. 23, 2025, two families accused Midlothian High School students of vandalizing their homes as part of a senior prank, including writing the “N-word” and other derogatory words on a vehicle. The families said no criminal charges were brought in connection with the incident. Following the 2025 incident, Martin said she was denied a meeting with Chesterfield school leaders. “I said, this is a missed opportunity that we’re missing," Martin said. "And here it is... the next year, around the same time, this same thing is happening.” The NAACP said previous responses from school leaders have fallen short and is calling for changes in how these situations are handled. The organization is asking both school divisions to reexamine their student conduct policies and is once again seeking a meeting with school leaders. “You’ll stop closing the doors on us," said Stephen Miller-Pitts, political action chair of the Chesterfield NAACP. "You’ll begin to answer these emails and these text messages, and you will have a place for us at the table." A spokesperson for RPS told 8News that Huguenot administration and district leaders have met with the student affected by the post and the student’s family. CCPS has previously said it could not share information about any disciplinary consequences stemming from the social media incident because of student privacy laws. ...read more read less