DERRY, N.H. — Costumes apparently worn to Pinkerton Academy during 'spirit week' have drawn criticism on Facebook over the past week and now the school says it is investigating.
A post with images of a student wearing a Confederate flag and a student with his face painted black have been shared almost 200 times, with an accompanying narrative explaining why the person feels the school has allowed purportedly racist behavior.
The black face was apparently part of the school's blackout day when students wore black clothing to school, while the Confederate flag was apparently worn on the school's 'America Day.'
"That's disrespectful and honestly it's sad to me because learning that people in my grade would do that," student Kaitlyn Perrault said.
In a post to Facebook, Arielle Robinson says she is a student at Pinkerton High School and has had racial slurs directed at her since she was a freshman.
She shared the photos and complained of teachers who will "shame a girl for what she's wearing but be completely indifferent to racism."
Senior Hannah Robbins said the Confederate Flag may have been in poor taste, but she says the alleged black face was really just an attempt school spirit.
"That's not reaching out, trying to hurt anybody at all, we have paint on our face every other day, it's just a different color," Robbins said.
The Confederate flag has a history of controversy since it's creation by the Confederate State of America during the Civil War. While the "black face" costume has been an icon of racial stereotyping since the early 1800's when non-black actors would don the makeup to get into stereotypical black characters.
The school sent FOX25 a statement regarding the photos Friday afternoon:
"Profane, obscene, abusive and/or insulting language is taken very seriously at Pinkerton where our school motto is 'courtesy, respect, and responsibility.' The Administration became aware of the students' behavior on Thursday and is having frank conversations with the alleged students. As our school rules state and our administration adheres to strictly on behalf of the community, 'Pinkerton Academy will not tolerate written or verbal comments which insult or attack another person's race, religion, heritage, gender, disability or sexual preference. Students who make inappropriate, degrading and/or inflammatory slurs will be subject to immediate suspension.' That is our policy and we will continue our investigation of the incident."
- Headmaster Griffin Morse
Cox Media Group
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