A Wisconsin high school student wearing Ku Klux Klan outfit for his presentation to English subject has caused uproar among students and parents. The video of the said student wearing the forbidden costume has shared and criticized online. The school principal said that the posts and news stories have given the school a false impression as racist.
The student's presentation at Westosha Central High School in Salem angered some students and parents. The uproar stemmed from the photos and videos shared by the fellow students on Social Media. In it, the student can be seen wearing a white sheet with holes cut for the eyes and nose. It was known that it was part of the boy's presentation for their English reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." A screen behind him also displays the words "Crime in the 1920s."
According to USA Today, another student posted a short video clip on Twitter of part of the presentation with the message: "Why?"
This brought attention to the school's principal, saying that the image is appalling. According to the Daily News, Principal Lisa Albercht said that the boy was discussing the evils of KKK and its rise to popularity in the 1920s. The teen apologized after the principal told him that the outfit was "culturally blind."
Albercht added that the student felt awful for what he did and realized that he shouldn't have worn it. The student teacher, who was assigned that time, did never tell him to take it off. But she talked to him after his presentation.
"As any of you would be, I was appalled by the photo," Albrecht wrote. "The student, in his eagerness to do a good job, admits he failed to understand the hurtful symbolic meaning of this prop."
The principal said that the posts and news stories have given a false impression of students at the school as racist. She also hopes that students learn that some things can be out of control.
"The social media part is just as hurtful," Albrecht said. "Unfortunately, what's happened is so many people have jumped on the bandwagon."
While the act hurts and disappoints lots of parents and students, it is yet to be known if the student faces disciplinary actions. What are your thoughts on this matter?
