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Parents were left outraged after two white students who wore blackface to a Utah school event won a spirit prize, KUTV reports.
The outrage stemmed from a "blackout"-themed event where students wore all-black clothing ahead of a football game at Pine View High School last month. In pictures shared on social media, two white students donned black paint on their faces during the event. The students in blackface posed with the cheerleading team after they were awarded a prize for school spirit.
Edward Wright, a parent of a Black student, called out school administrators for failing to address the incident immediately.
"I feel like this was a missed opportunity to educate,” Wright said. “You could have tapped these young men on the shoulder, whispered in their ear, and let these young men know the significance of this.”
Washington County School District official Steven Dunham admitted that faculty members "came up short" in their response.
“This is where we as a district need to step in and say we came up short. Somebody should have stepped in,” Dunham said in a statement. “We are confident there were other faculty members there at that game and it would have been nice if somebody stepped in.”
The Washington County School District also issued an apology.
“We work hard to create a space where all students can feel safe. We are disheartened that this took place and we apologize to our students and community for any offense that was felt because of this incident. This should not have happened!” district officials said in a statement. “We are creating school teams that will work with teachers and staff to help make strategic changes that will improve school-level culture and climate.”
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