Some say the teens were just following a tradition at their annual fundraiser. Others believe it was in bad taste.
Lebanon High School Principal Craig Swanson said, “It is completely insensitive, hateful in nature. What was posted and we want to make sure that kids know that they have an avenue to report that so we can address it appropriately.”
To celebrate Halloween, students and neighbors showed up at the Lebanon Land Lab dressed in costumes. But when one group decided to take a photo wearing blackface and captioned it with slurs, it turned a fun night into an offensive event that will now be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Everybody agrees the caption was hateful and offensive but some people say the picture itself was innocent.
One student commented, “I think it’s a good school and we shouldn’t have comments like that be around the school.”
Another student said, “But a lot of people are upset because a lot of kids are calling out every body at Lebanon instead of being like, ‘What this one person did was wrong.’ And then moving on with it.”
Defenders of the students say they put on the makeup to disguise themselves inside the haunted barn.
According to some people, the tradition of wearing blackface at the annual fundraiser goes back years. But in a statement, the Lebanon superintendent said there’s no doubt this act was racist and unacceptable.
Bo Yates said he’s saddened that any student would post a racist comment or fail to understand the connotations behind blackface.
Lebanon High School Principal Craig Swanson said he learned about the incident Sunday afternoon and launched an investigation this morning. He said, “I just want to make sure our school knows that it’s not acceptable. It won’t be tolerated.”
Swanson said the students will face appropriate consequences once he knows all the facts.
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