A principal at a Texas high school issued an apology after he was criticized over comments he made about the way students dressed for a 90s throwback event. According to KPRC 2, Oak Ridge High School students said Principal Anthony LiVechhi’s comments made them feel like they were in the civil rights era.
The incident happened on Thursday and it was captured on video by students. In the footage, LiVechhi can be heard saying, “It’s embarrassing. It’s frustrating. You got people taking pictures (and) posing like they’re Dr. Dre from the 90s. Doesn’t make our school look good.”
The principal’s choice of words was condemned by some students and parents. “(It’s) kind of downplaying on the way my mom and dad dressed when they were in school,” a senior by the name of Nekia Baker said.
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Nia Dixon, who is also a student, added: “The analogy of comparing us to Dr. Dre was used to bring us down and to degrade the way we were dressing and to degrade our school spirit and our 90s day.”
An influential hip-hop icon, Dr. Dre made a name for himself in the 90s as a member of the N.W.A. rap group. The 56-year-old Los Angeles native is set to perform at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
“I run track. I have some records for the school, and when we were walking by, he said y’all look like criminals. I’m like, how is us dressing and expressing predominantly 90s and 2000s Black culture equated to being a criminal?” student Trinidad Robinson questioned.
In the wake of the backlash, school officials met with parents and local activist Quanell X to discuss the incident. About 100 students also sat and kneeled to express solidarity during Monday’s meeting, KPRC 2 reported. The principal apologized for his comments following the meeting.
“I love you all. That’s not how you need to be treated. It won’t happen again,” LiVechhi said.
But despite LiVechhi’s apology, some students said the case is far from closed as they alleged other students made racist comments and terroristic threats during their sit-in. X said law enforcement officials are investigating the allegations.
“Those young children have a victory today because that principal did go before them and apologize for what he said and how he handled the situation,” X said.
