Worcester teen told to remove costume after dressing up as KKK member

WORCESTER, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A Worcester teenager who wore a Ku Klux Klan costume to school apologized after removing it, the school said.

Students at Worcester Technical High School were encouraged to dress up as a part of spirit week, the school said, and Thursday's theme was "super hero and super villain."

When the girl arrived at school, she was wearing a robe, according to a press release from the school. But then she put on a KKK hood and took a picture with friends.

A teacher saw the photo taking place and told the student that while the KKK was considered "villainous," it was inappropriate and offensive. The student apologized and said she did not mean to offend anyone. She then took off the costume, the school said.

Some were very offended by the costume, including resident Edwin Quintanilla.

?"That's wrong. That's very wrong to do that," he said.

Some parents think the child should be suspended, and find the costume especially distasteful given that President Obama gave the commencement speech at Worcester Tech back in June.

"It's a slap in a face to Obama I think," one parent said. "I think it's disgusting."

But some others chalk it up to kids today not knowing any better.

"Probably doesn't even know what the KKK really is," another parent concluded.

The school released the following statement Friday:

"The teacher informed the student that while her costume technically represented a villainous character in history, her costume choice represented poor judgment and was offensive to the Worcester public school community."

The school says the student apologized and that she didn't mean to offend anyone, but for a lot of students and parents who saw the costume and photo, it was too late.

Cox Media Group