Several staff members at a South Carolina elementary school are facing termination and disciplinary action over offensive costumes worn at a school event last week, which drew protests and anger from community members.
Controversial School Photos
One South Carolina elementary school has been mired in controversy after photos were posted online showing a number of employees wearing costumes that were slammed as “insensitive” and “inappropriate.”
Olympic Parade Celebration
Last Wednesday, the students and staff members of Royall Elementary School in Florence County, SC, partook in an “Olympic Parade” event, where different nations partaking in the global sporting event were celebrated.
“Border Patrol” Costume
During the celebrations, several staff members donned costumes to represent the country of Mexico. Their costumes consisted of stereotypical pieces such as colorful sombreros, but what grabbed people’s attention were two staff members wearing gray t-shirts with the words “U.S Border Patrol” printed on the front.
Posing by the ‘Border’
The two staff members were posing in front of two makeshift brick wall panels, apparently to simulate the US-Mexico border.
Uploaded to Facebook
Photos from the event, including the “Border Patrol” outfits, were later uploaded to the school’s official Facebook page, grabbing the attention of parents and students.
Community Outrage
Needless to say, community members, particularly those of Hispanic heritage, were outraged by the pictures due to the implication that illegal immigration could be part of Mexico’s cultural image.
Insensitive and Inappropriate
Soon after the images were posted, dozens of parents and community members flooded the comment sections, slamming the outfits as “insensitive,” “inappropriate,” and “a disgrace.”
“So Many Other Ways to Represent Mexico”
“There were so many other ways to represent Mexico in the ‘Olympic Parade.’ Neither Border Patrol actually has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with ‘Back to School’ or the ‘Olympics,’ in case y’all did not know!” the mother of one student wrote.
Just 3% of the Local Population
It appeared to be a particularly alienating display for the district’s small Hispanic community. According to data from the US Census Bureau, only 3% of the Florence County population identify as Hispanic or Latino.
Consequences Have Been Dealt Out
Now, a number of school employees involved in the celebration event have either been fired or placed on temporary leave, according to an announcement made by the Florence 1 school district on Friday.
Terminated or Placed on Leave
“Several employees are no longer employed by the district or have been placed on leave by the district’s administration,” said district Superintendent Richard O’Malley.
The Superintendent Won’t Tolerate it
O’Malley followed up the announcement by promising parents that he would “not tolerate” anything of a similarly insensitive nature within the school district.
Formal Apology From the School
The school itself also publicly acknowledged the offense caused and offered an apology to the community, particularly to student families of Mexican and Hispanic descent.
“Unanimously Committed to Celebrating Diversity”
“Our staff is unanimously committed to celebrating the diversity of our families and ensuring that each and every student at Royall is successful, happy, and recognized for his or her unique culture and abilities,” the Royall Elementary School statement read.
Is it Enough?
For some, apologies may not be enough. Organizations and nonprofit groups such as the Florence County Democratic Party and Racial Justice Network have also spoken out against the costumes.
“No Regard For the Students”
“There was no regard for the students and how some would feel and what message they were sending to others,” said James Johnson III, founder of the Racial Justice Network, in a public statement.
Looking For Motives
“We would like to know what the motives behind this were, and [what] did the school hope to gain from this,” he continued.
Pushing an Agenda?
Johnson went on to suggest that the employees in the photos and other staff members at the school may have purposefully designed the display to “push Former President Trump’s agenda” of bringing political conflict into schools.
“Tasteless” and “Tone-Deaf”
The chairman of the Florence County Democratic Party, Isaac Wilson, also shared a statement describing the organization’s disappointment at the staffer’s “tasteless” and “tone-deaf” behavior.
Removed From Facebook
The “insensitive” photos have since been removed from the elementary school’s Facebook page.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Dennis MacDonald.
