Indiana school district probing ‘offensive’ social media post showing 2 students in blackface
The recent post comes nearly a year after a picture of a student in blackface from another campus in the Southwest Allen County Schools went viral, prompting altercations and protests.
An Indiana school district is investigating an “offensive” social media post showing students in blackface.
According to 21 Alive News, Southwest Allen County Schools officials issued a letter to the media and district families on Thursday stating they were made aware of the post created on holiday break and featuring two unidentified middle school students.
The letter, signed by SACS Superintendent Park Ginder, said leaders in the Fort Wayne-based school district had contacted the students’ families and continue to monitor the incident.
“This image does not represent the behavior we expect of students or our community,” Ginder wrote.
“It’s important to recognize that images like these, whether intentionally racist or not, contribute to the perpetuation of distrust and hinder a community of belonging,” he contended. “Such posts are at odds with the principles upheld by Southwest Allen County Schools, where our commitment is to foster a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for everyone.”
The recent post comes nearly a year after a picture of a Homestead High School student donning blackface went viral, prompting altercations and protests at the predominately white SACS school, where parents and students claim racism is an ongoing issue, WFFT News reported.
At the time, Ginder met with and formalized an agreement with parent organization FAIR for All to address concerns about widespread racism, claiming the photo did not reflect district values.
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In his letter Thursday, the superintendent urged parents to talk to their children about appropriate internet conduct.
“Addressing behavior and/or social media posts that are offensive requires a collective effort, and we can only achieve that by working together,” Ginder maintained. “We encourage parents to take this opportunity to have conversations with their children, regardless of their age, emphasizing that the use of slurs or derogatory language or imagery targeting a student’s ethnic or racial background, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or disability are not acceptable.”
Ginder also advised families to talk with their children about social media usage, including their choice and use of platforms and the content they follow or see.
“Encourage an awareness that promotes responsible and respectful online behavior,” he urged, 21 Alive reported, “as well as an understanding that internet posts such as this can have ramifications that follow students for the rest of their lives.”
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