High school yearbook delayed after school officials discover blackface photo

Seniors who were looking ahead to receiving their yearbooks at Chaska high school on Tuesday were disappointed to learn they could must wait to get a duplicate after college officials found a photograph depicting a student in blackface.

The yearbooks, which had been supposed to be disbursed on Tuesday to seniors and to the rest of the scholars in June on the Chaska, Minn., high faculty, were not on time so the college can dispose of the offending page inside the already printed version.

The photograph, in line with assistant foremost Jim Swearingen, was taken in September at a football recreation in which enthusiasts were recommended to wear black clothing to assist the team. Some students additionally wore blackface, in keeping with Minneapolis news station KSTP.

"in the course of very last assessment of the yearbook we determined a small image taken of the student cheer section during that sport that protected one pupil in blackface," Swearingen wrote in a letter to parents acquired by using Yahoo life-style.

"As a faculty network, we've mentioned that incident, in addition to the racist records behind sporting blackface," Swearingen wrote in his letter, relating to the blackface worn on the football game.

However, one figure, Tonya Coleman, advised the superstar Tribune that such conversations by no means came about.

"They haven't had any communicate approximately it all, in keeping with many, many mother and father," she stated.

Now, students and parents are annoying alternate. A petition started in April has circulated that now not simplest needs a 0-tolerance anti-racism policy and adjustments to the curriculum in the school but is also petitioning for new management on the excessive college.

"At no time do we condone the ridicule or demeaning of humans, mainly our own students," Swearingen wrote within the letter to mother and father. "I make an apology that this happened and for the delay in our yearbook distribution."

Beyond the aforementioned soccer game, japanese Carver County faculties were plagued by way of racially charged incidents at some point of the 12 months. In December, the N-phrase became located written on a student's health club blouse. In February, college students carrying a black charcoal face masks shared a photo on social media with a "racially offensive hashtag." In March, college students accused college officials of censoring their Black records Month posters. Just ultimate month, a photograph circulated of 25 black students superimposed on a Google Maps photograph with a locator label which read, "Negro Hill."

Japanese Carver County college District Superintendent Clint Christopher provided a statement to Yahoo life-style on the incident.

“It’s important to well known that there are issues in our schools. No person inside the district is contesting that we've got work to do, and i take my obligation to our college students, every and each one in all them, severely and in my view,” the assertion says. “I – and i speak for my workforce and for the college Board – am devoted to fixing these worries at each degree of our school district. Those incidents do not and could no longer define us, and we are making an investment in lengthy-term, device-extensive paintings to trade the tradition in order that absolutely everyone who is part of our school community feels secure, welcome, covered, and respected.”