What was supposed to be a fun-filled day celebrating Mexican culture took a turn for the worst when two staff members showed up wearing insensitive T-shirts.
The incident occurred on July 31 during Royall Elementary School’s “Royal Cantina” event. The school, located in Florence County, South Carolina, faced backlash on social media after posting pictures of two employees dressed in U.S. Border Patrol agent costumes.
The post has since been deleted due to the flood of angry comments it received from the Mexican-American community.
Here’s what to know about the incident and the staff members’ employment status.
What to know about the incident
According to a USA TODAY story, the event took place during the school’s professional development day. Most of the employees at the event tried to match the Latin American bar theme through their outfits, with some wearing sombreros and bright-colored clothing. Two of the school’s employees were photographed in gray shirts with the words “U.S. Border Patrol” printed on them as they stood in front of a makeshift red brick wall. The photo of the employees was then uploaded by the school to Facebook on July 31.
It did not take long for the photos to cause a stir on social media, where South Carolinians expressed their disapproval and shame.
“This is beyond disgusting. These so-called ‘educators’ should be fired immediately,” commented one Facebook user.
Another comment read, “As a mom, I would hate to see a child hurt. These teachers need to be fired immediately. They are racist and have no place in our schools. How can they think this is funny? It’s a shame they got placed on administrative leave and will be back to teach.”
SHOCKING: Royall Elementary School in South Carolina posted photos to Facebook of teachers wearing shirts reading ‘U.S. Border Patrol.’ The teachers were participating in a display meant to represent Mexico.
The photos were removed after one mom called them ‘insensitive.’ pic.twitter.com/STG4EU1Von
— Crisis in the Classroom (@CITClassroom) August 1, 2024
How did Royall Elementary School respond to the incident?
Royall Elementary School released a statement on Facebook referencing the incident. The post, which received 476 reactions, read:
“It is with regret that we acknowledge that a picture that was posted on our Facebook page yesterday showed an insensitive disregard for the current challenges our Hispanic population faces. At Royall, we take great pride in our long-standing tradition of embracing and supporting every student who walks through the doors of our building. 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. We apologize for our insensitivity but look forward to fostering relationships as we begin a new school year.”
Due to backlash, the school limited the number of people who could comment on the post.
Are staff who wore border patrol shirts facing termination?
Florence One Schools Superintendent Richard O’Malley addressed the incident in a letter to parents, stating, “Several employees are no longer employed or have been placed on leave.”
In the letter, he added, “I want to assure the Royall Community that the school will continue to provide an exceptional education for all students, with the high expectations and excellence in student achievement that have always been provided by our staff at Royall.”
Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: SC school receives backlash for Border Patrol costume photo on social
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Publish date : 2024-08-22 07:09:00
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