ROCHESTER, Minn. — Tuesday, May 6, 2025

A viral video showing a white Minnesota woman using a racial slur against a 5-year-old Black child at a playground has sparked nationwide outrage — and drawn more than $700,000 in crowdfunding support for the woman, who claims she now needs to relocate her family due to threats and harassment.

The video, recorded in Rochester, Minnesota, captures a man confronting the woman after she allegedly called a young Black boy the N-word. In response, the woman not only repeats the slur but also flips off the man with both middle fingers. The incident, which occurred last week, quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing millions of views.

The woman, who has not been publicly identified and could not be reached for comment, is now the recipient of over $700,000 in donations raised through the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo. The campaign states she used the slur out of frustration after the child went through her 18-month-old’s diaper bag, though this claim has not been independently verified by the Associated Press.

“I called the kid out for what he was,” the woman wrote on the fundraising page, claiming that the public backlash has caused “great turmoil” for her and her family.

In contrast, the NAACP Rochester chapter launched a GoFundMe for the family of the child involved, who they say is on the autism spectrum. That campaign raised $340,000 before being closed at the family’s request to maintain privacy.

“This was not simply offensive behavior — it was an intentional racist, threatening, hateful and verbal attack against a child,” the NAACP said in a public statement, urging that the incident be treated with seriousness.

The Rochester Police Department confirmed it has completed an investigation and submitted findings to the Rochester City Attorney’s Office for potential charges. No charges have yet been announced. Spokesperson Amanda Grayson said the case remains under review.

GiveSendGo did not respond to a request for comment.

Donations Spark National Debate

The surge in donations to the woman has reignited fierce public debate about racism, accountability, and what some call the blurred line between “cancel culture” and “consequence culture.”

“This did and didn’t surprise me,” said Dr. Henry Taylor, director of the Center for Urban Studies at the University at Buffalo. He attributed the support to a cultural climate where many people feel emboldened to express racist or xenophobic views. “People are given someone to hate and someone to blame for the problems they’re facing,” Taylor said.

Supporters of the woman argue she is being unfairly targeted. Some, like conservative commentator Matt Walsh, acknowledged her use of a racial slur but criticized the backlash. “No one’s excusing it,” Walsh posted on Facebook, “but she didn’t deserve to be treated like a domestic terrorist.”

Others see the wave of donations as a defense of racism itself.

“The idea that this woman should receive financial support for attacking a child with a slur is outrageous,” said Franciska Coleman, assistant professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School, who studies cancel culture and freedom of speech.

Coleman explained that “cancel culture” seeks informal consequences when formal systems fail to hold individuals accountable. “What people want is accountability. If the legal system doesn’t act, they feel they must act socially,” she said.

According to Coleman, there is a growing public divide: some believe racist behavior warrants harsh public consequences, while others focus on shielding individuals from what they see as online mob justice.

Taylor and Coleman both emphasized that using a racial slur against a child — even under provocation — is unequivocally unacceptable. “Those who excuse it are fringe,” Coleman said.

Yet, many donors on the woman’s GiveSendGo page echoed racist sentiments, prompting the site to disable the comments section. The episode highlights how anonymous online spaces can enable people to express hate they might otherwise suppress in public.

“Anonymity makes people feel safe to act on their darkest impulses,” Taylor said. “It’s a reflection of what still lurks just beneath the surface in our society.”

The case remains under legal review, and no charges have been filed as of Tuesday afternoon.