BELLAIRE, Texas -- An online chat landed the valedictorian at Bellaire High School in trouble with his school, classmates and an Hispanic group, News2Houston reported Monday.

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Group Upset Over Valedictorian's Online Message

Harry Huang missed one-half day of school when he was required to write an apology for statements he made during a private Internet chat that degraded Mexicans and Mexican-Americans.

Some of things he wrote included, "... thieves, thugs, scam artists and liars they are. They're a cancer in the world and they ought to be exterminated. Nobody needs Mexicans. Nobody wants Mexicans either."

The statements were distributed throughout the student body at the HISD school.

"One of the smartest students at one of the top schools in HISD made terribly wrong statements," said David Khan, with the American Civil Liberties Union.

In Huang's written apology, he wrote, "To Mexicans, Hispanics and anybody else who has ever been a victim of hate and stereotypes, I apologize for the remarks I made in anger. I know that I let many people down. Though I wrote those words, I did not then, nor do I now, believe them."

Huang's father told News2Houston that his son wrote the disparaging remarks out of anger after mechanics scammed him out of $70 and tried to take him by force to an ATM to get more money.

The apology is not enough, according to the League of United Latin American Citizens. Community activists are disappointed that Huang will not be suspended or expelled

"We've received hundreds of calls, hundreds of calls," said a LULAC representative.

"Where did he learn that?" said Lucy Reyna, a community activist. "Who taught him to think in such a manner that he thinks we deserve to die because we're poor?"

In response to LULAC's call for stricter punishment, Huang's father told News2Houston, "What do they want? To kill my son?"

Bellaire's principal will decide next month if Huang will deliver the commencement address at his graduation ceremony in May.

The valedictorian has not always given the commencement speech. Bellaire can choose to invite a special, keynote speaker.