South Carolina’s Royall Elementary School has seen several staff members fired after photos emerged of them posing as Border Patrol agents while wearing stereotypical Mexican clothing at a school event. The incident occurred during an “Olympic Parade” event on Wednesday, which was a professional development day before the start of classes.
The school’s Facebook page shared images showing two employees donning sunglasses and gray shirts with “US Border Patrol” written on them while standing in front of a hand-made brick wall display. In another picture, several staff members wore brightly colored sombreros in front of a sign that said Royall “Cantina,” Spanish for “bar.
Parents and community members took to social media to condemn the images as being unacceptably racially charged. One anonymous mother of a Royall student posted on Facebook, expressing her outrage at the stereotypical portrayal of Mexican culture. Her post went viral, with backlash pouring in from all over the country.
Annette Fling, a Mexican-American mother who has children in the district, called the stunt “a disgrace.” She stated that as educators with degrees, these staff members should have known better and shown more respect towards the culture they were portraying.
In response to the controversy, School District Superintendent Richard O’Malley contacted parents and informed them that several employees had been fired or placed on leave over the incident. He stated in an email that he would not tolerate anything of this nature within their school district. The exact number of employees affected by the firings is unclear.
The school has since offered an apology, acknowledging that the images displayed “an insensitive disregard for the current challenges our Hispanic population faces.” School and district officials were reached for comment, but no further information was provided at this time.
The Racial Justice Network released a statement in which they accused the district of having a “habitual past of displaying discrimination” and blamed the teachers for pushing “Trump’s agenda.” The organization expressed their concern over the lack of consideration for students and the message being sent by this display. They also emphasized that school is not a place for racism or politics, and questioned the motives behind the staff’s actions.
This incident has sparked widespread outrage and discussion surrounding cultural sensitivity and representation in educational settings. The school is now working to address these concerns and take steps towards ensuring that such incidents do not occur again in the future.
