NJ school district slams ‘offensive’ watermelon graphic on Juneteenth menu

New York Post ^ | June 5, 2026, | By Ariel Zilber

[ConservativeStatement]

Families in a New Jersey school district were left outraged after a cafeteria menu distributed for June displayed a watermelon graphic on Juneteenth — prompting school officials to condemn the image as racially offensive and demand immediate action from the district’s food-service contractor.

Montclair Public Schools said the image appeared on a June cafeteria menu prepared by food-service provider Sodexo and sparked complaints from students, families, staff and community members.

Superintendent Ruth Turner said those who saw the menu were “hurt, disappointed, and offended” by the graphic’s appearance alongside the June 19 holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

[ConservativeStatement]

“culturally responsive menu options”? Now that is settled.

[HYPOCRACY]

I’m so sick of food being racist.

[sauropod]

Montclair. Home of Mikie Sherril.

[HYPOCRACY]

I don’t see Chinese people whinging if you show a bowl of rice.

[BenLurkin]

Is this the menu?

[piasa]

Ok, serve the kids kale.

[SkyDancer]

So what was the graphic? A picture of some black kid eating watermelon from a 1940’s movie? Is watermelon now racist? Fried chicken? Corn on the cob?

[mikey_hates_everything]

Forget it, Jake, it’s Jersey.

[dfwgator]

I’m really starting to hate the month of June.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

When it comes to skin, black skin is the thinnest skin of all.

I like watermelon. Does that mean I've got something hiding in the woodpile?

[texas booster]

What is NJ doing, culturally appropriating our celebrations from Texas?

And the blacks in NJ were never slaves to begin with.

And fried chicken, poke salat and watermelon is on the menu at every Juneteenth celebration in Texas.

Criminal carpetbaggers, stealing our heritages.

[DoodleBob]

Is anyone going to comment on how absurd it is that schools are still in session thru June 19th?

Back in the day, we were done with class work by the first week in June. We then went in for a bunch of half days, prolly to satisfy the state and teachers’ union, then we’re were done by the second week in June.

Homeschooling solves for all of this nonsense.

[Jim Noble]

NJ school district slams ‘offensive’ watermelon graphic on Juneteenth menu

That's a cotton pickin' disgrace, to put something like that there.

[SteelPSUGOP]

Why is there a menu for 6/19. School should be long over

[Iron Munro]

My family never feels offended when we see pictures of a pizza or spaghetti and meatballs.....

[moviefan8]

Why is there school on a federal holiday?

It should be closed. No meals should be served.

[PGR88]

Just imagine the outrage that some fried chicken photos would have engendered.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

[PeterPrinciple]

notice how global warming and racism are back on the menu?

time to recycle..............

[dfwgator]