Oklahoma Christian University recruiter fired for playing racist game with high school students
The unnamed recruiter told students, “nappiest hair in the back and straighter hair in the front”
A white college recruiter, who lined Black students up by their skin color and hair texture at an Oklahoma City high school, has been fired.
Rather than talk about Oklahoma Christian University, the former admissions counselor instead opted to play a racist exercise with students at Harding Charter Preparatory High School, according to KFOR.
The 11th graders couldn’t believe their ears.
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“I could already see through his BS basically,” Korey Todd told the station. “He was a white man. He was like, ‘Let’s play a little game. He said, ‘Okay, everyone now line up from darkest to lightest skin complexion.’”
Rio Brown said the recruiter “barely talked about the school itself,” but instead told students he wanted to see who could “line up the fastest.”
Harding Charter Preparatory has had many college recruiters stop through, but this was the first time any had done something like this.
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“He told us nappiest hair in the back and straighter hair in the front,” Brown said.
“That’s when I felt uncomfortable like, ‘Okay, this isn’t right,’” Todd added.
Some teachers were mortified to tears.
“Teachers left,” Brown told KFOR. “They were crying and they were offended. Their faces just look disgusted. I know they had a talk with him after, like, ‘That’s not okay.’”
Oklahoma Christian University fired the unnamed recruiter shortly after the incident, according to KFOR. In a statement, the university said the former employee acted on his own and that university representatives would be visiting the school on Monday to apologize.
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“The OC admissions counselor who visited Harding Charter Preparatory Academy on Monday is no longer an Oklahoma Christian University employee. OC admissions leadership did not approve the inappropriate activity in advance and has communicated closely with Harding administration since the visit. Admissions staff are scheduled to visit the academy Monday to apologize to Harding students and staff on behalf of the University,” the statement read, according to KFOR.
The Harding Charter Prep principal also sent out a statement calling the incident “inappropriate and hurtful.”
“As you are aware, our school is visited by many college representatives each year to recruit the most hardworking students in the state of Oklahoma. Unfortunately, an incident occurred this Monday when a college recruiter from Oklahoma Christian University led a group activity with our students that involved inappropriate and hurtful statements,” the principal’s wrote in his statement, KFOR reported. “The Harding Charter Preparatory High School governance board, administration, and staff does not condone any behavior and/or language that undermines our community’s values. Our community, from its inception, has valued diversity, inclusion, and a safe and supportive learning environment. We will continue to do so.”
Brown hopes the incident is a “wake-up call” that amplifies how students feel “because many people at the school need to hear how we feel.”
