A high school has canceled its homecoming after students posed for photos wearing T-shirts with letters spelling out a racial slur.
The six white students from Tishomingo High School each wore a letter with the word n**ger on it, the photo showed.
The district superintendent apologized Thursday and canceled homecoming activities and Friday’s football game, calling the display “an extremely poor decision.”
Last week, students were told to wear T-shirts with random Scrabble letters on them for a Spirit Week activity.
Those who could put together the word with the most points would win, they were told — paving the way for the students’ prank. No one has been identified, but the photo of their faces continues to spark backlash days later as it spreads across the internet.
The six students each wore a letter that spelled out the word n**ger, photos showed. No one was identified due to privacy laws, but their faces are all over the Internet.
It happened last week at Tishomingo High School, during Oklahoma School Spirit Week. Tishomingo is a town of just over 3,000 people.
“These young men had no fear, hesitation or consideration for others,” one person wrote in a Facebook post sharing the photo.
‘The audacity, the brutality, the recklessness, the stupidity and the lack of awareness.’
“This is the kind of thing that perpetuates hate in the world,” said another, as the town responded to the incident.
“Teach your children to be respectful,” they added, ahead of the school’s now-cancelled homecoming game.
Brandon Moreland, the school district’s superintendent, responded in a statement sent out Thursday, the day before the big game.
“Racism and discrimination in any form will never be tolerated or accepted on our campus and do not reflect the values of our students, school, or community,” the Tishomingo Public Schools official said.
“Our students and staff are made up of community members from all backgrounds, races and religions. That is one of the many aspects that makes our campus so exceptional.”
Students were told to wear shirts with random Scrabble letters on them for a spirit week activity last week. Those who could put together the word with the most points would win, they were told – which paved the way for the students’ prank
Several online individuals who appeared to be part of the city suggested that the individuals in the photo were football players from the school
In a separate message sent around 4:30 p.m. that day, Moreland indicated that all Tishomingo Public Schools activities, including the parade and football game, would be canceled due to what he described as “safety and security concerns.”
“While it is unfortunate that the actions of a few are impacting a long-standing tradition enjoyed by many in our community, conversations with our local law enforcement partners confirm the county’s decision to cancel the event,” his second message reads.
He said the decision was made in hopes of “prioritizing the safety of Tishomingo and Antlers students, fans and participants.”
Neither party provided insight into the identities of the offending students, but some online individuals who appeared to be part of the close-knit town of 3,000 suggested the people in the photo were Tishomingo High School football players.
Moreland’s letters did not confirm whether the students were football players, citing privacy laws that prohibit the school district from sharing details about the situation.
The district chief said school officials quickly contacted the parents of the students involved, resulting in “immediate” disciplinary action. It remains unclear what those punishments entailed.
Brandon Moreland, the school’s principal, apologized Thursday in response, while canceling homecoming activities and Friday’s football game
He did not name the students, but said school officials quickly contacted the parents of the students involved, resulting in “immediate” disciplinary action. It remains unclear what those punishments entailed.
“We recognize the essential role of education and remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering a culture of respect, integrity and accountability among our students and the broader community,” he added in one of the notes.
“The District is grateful to our local law enforcement partners who continue to provide TPS with tremendous support as we navigate this difficult time.”
He then reiterated that racism and discrimination would not be tolerated in his schools and promised to monitor the situation.
DailyMail.com has contacted the school district for comment.