Posted on 11/08/2005 12:58:38 PM PST by day10
A dozen Tri-state high school students made quite a scene at the school halloween dance when they put on Ku Klux Klan outfits.
Students and administrators in Rising Sun, Indiana, say they're upset it happened and shocked the students would do it.
The principal made the students take off the outfits right away, but the damage was done.
9News learned the students were told they have to go through sensitivity training or risk suspension.
People in the community are also being asked to reach out to each other.
"I think you're surprised if one person shows up [in KKK garb], but sometimes good people, whether they're adults or kids, do things that aren't the best and make bad decisions and that's what we had. We had about 12 individuals make a very bad decision," said Superintendent Steve Patz.
The superintendent says neither he, nor any administrators, heard rumblings this might happen.
The students, all boys, came to the dance wearing sheets, dressed as ghosts and pulled out hoods a little later.
Students didn't want to talk on camera, but said they were surprised -- even offended.
The students involved will do civil rights research and write papers and the staff will work to improve the way the school teaches issues of tolerance and sensitivity.
The superintendent knows that everyone knows what happened in the small town and everyone knows who's involved. That's why he wants the community to help with the solution.
"I think it gets back to the education we need to do not only as a school but as a community about why these things are unacceptable," said Patz.
Church leaders are being asked to use their influence.
"As a pastor, I care about all the people in this community, regardless of race, and we want to be able to reach out to bring some understanding of what happened and probably some education needs to take place," said Dan Hunt of Bethel Unity Baptist Church.
There was one African-American girl at the dance, 9News learned.
Although the superintendent says he's under the impression the act wasn't done maliciously, it doesn't matter.
He says this kind of action regarding race, religion, cultures -- just can't happen.
I dont condone such costumes. Cartman is the only who can pull this off.
"He says this kind of action regarding race, religion, cultures -- just can't happen."
...unless the target is conservative blacks, Christianity or Western Culture.
Are you telling me that here in the land of the free and the home of the brave a young child is not permitted to dress as the distinguished senior Senator of West Virginia for Hallowe'en?
If they had dressed up a gangbangers, this never would have been a story.
But, which has killed more black people in the last 10 years? 25 years? 50 years?
"Adolf Hitler was a very bad man"
That costume only works if you buy it with other kids money.
There it is! There it is. I knew it would not take long before such rhetoric would be used. A total changing of the subject.
"Are you telling me that here in the land of the free and the home of the brave a young child is not permitted to dress as the distinguished senior Senator of West Virginia for Hallowe'en?"
LOL! Right on!
>>Students and administrators in Rising Sun, Indiana, say they're upset it happened and shocked the students would do it.<<
This coming from town named after the Japansese flag during WWII.
"Jerry Seinfeld is a very bad man!"
--Baboo
You win the thread, congratulations. That was the funniest thing I've read all day.
There's a deeper story here.
Cartman made a better Hitler.
So Saturday night is Date Night again?
Thank you. You can catch my act on the West Coast this weekend.
True. It almost sounds like someone is condoning this right here on the forum.
But if they'd come to school wearing pro homosexual tee shirts they would have been applauded as brave.
What's good for the goose is poison to the gander...
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