Spirit day celebrations in a Wyoming high school caught the attention of authorities when two students showed up in a Ku Klux Klan style white robes.
The two students of Riverton High School were immediately disciplined by authorities.
The students had a hood and it was pulled over their heads, according to Terry Snyder, the superintendent of Fremont County School District No. 25.
“It seems to be a very poor decision,” Snyder said. “They did not have an understanding of the impact that would create but they do now,” CNN reports.
Though the students never showed signs of racism in the past or made any offensive comments, their actions, however, could not go unpunished.
“I believe that these actions were inappropriate,” Snyder said of the occurrence. “It was dealt with immediately. We’re not going to tolerate anything that begins to look like it has racial overtones at all, and that was the basis for the disciplinary action.”
According to Snyder, Riverton High School Principal John Griffith scheduled a meeting with the school faculty the day after the incidence, to discuss the next line of action and the way forward with the rest of the students with regards to the incident.
However, the students have received disciplinary actions which the school is unwilling to publicly announce due to privacy issues, Snyder said.
“It is important we teach that respect and understanding and we have additional work to do obviously and we will do that work,” Snyder said.
The city of Riverton is a white dominated locality with a population of about 11,000 and less than 0.2 percent of them being African Americans.
A teacher who still wants to remain anonymous says such racially inclined incidences have occurred one too many times.
“A lot of my students are so desensitized to the racism here, that it’s really sad,” they told Wyoming Public Media. “Sometimes their reactions are just ‘Oh, well that’s Riverton,’ or ‘Oh, it happens.’”
The viral photo of the students is gaining currency on social media. In response, the Riverton High School posted a statement on the school’s Facebook page saying, “We are aware of the photo circulating social media. We do not condone or support the student’s actions. We have taken disciplinary measures and have handled it.”
It added: “One student’s decision does not represent our school or district. We are an inclusive school that is proud of our diverse population and celebrate that fact regularly.”
Some of the students actually thought the boys had dressed as monks for the school’s spirit day which seemingly encouraged a “white out” theme, according to the Washington Post.
