Several Students from Mound Westonka High School in Minnesota, are facing severe discipline for allegedly dressing up as Klu Klux Klan members during a dodgeball tournament.
According to witnesses, several boys dressed up in all-white T-Shirts and bandannas shaped to look like KKK style cones. The dodgeball tournament features a tradition in which players dress up in costume to show school spirit. However, these group of boys appeared to have used the opportunity to send a racist message.
The photo above was posted on Snapchat with the caption “Grand Wizard”, which denotes a leader in the Klu Klux Klan.
Some excerpts from an email sent to parents by the school’s principal read:
“A small group of students engaged in offensive conduct, both on and off campus, that violated district policies.
“Appropriate action was taken”
Santiago Rodriguez, a junior at the school said this:
“The teachers didn’t recognize it as something that could be offensive, because all they saw was a bunch of kids dressed in white. It wasn’t the stereotypical hooded Klansman, but they were still going for a KKK-vibe with it.”
A hockey player from the school was suspended for the incident, and some students supported him on social media due to concerns for the hockey team’s upcoming schedule.
Santiago did not agree with the social media support. In response he tweeted:
“Kids dressed up as the KKK and you’re worried about a hockey game? Do you see nothing wrong with that? #mwhspride”
Many believe we are finally living in post-racial America, yet the incidents of racial abuse and mockery continue to surface.