Racist Promposal Sign Gets Ohio Student Banned From Prom
An Ohio high school student has been barred from his prom after he posted a racist “promposal” or invitation to prom on social media for a girl who attends another school.
TMZ says that the unnamed male student posted an offensive sign on his social media account, causing several students and parents to complain to the school board. The sign said, “If I was black I’d be picking cotton but I’m white so I’m picking u for prom.”
After complaints to the staff at Clear Fork High School, and to the school board, Superintendent Janice Wyckoff banned him from attending the prom, but said the student claims he is sorry, and has since deleted the sign.
TMZ added that it wasn’t clear whether his prospective date (pictured in the sign) said yes or no, but the couple no longer has the option of attending the high school dance.
Wyckoff would not say whether or not the student would face additional disciplinary action, but she doesn’t believe that this attitude is reflective on the rest of the student body at the Ohio school.
“This is one person making a bad decision that’s going to reflect on everybody. This is actually a terrible day in the Clear Fork Valley.”
Ohio student banned from prom over racist promposal sign https://t.co/OlsLc73IAm pic.twitter.com/XqTj4IVH6l
— The Hill (@thehill) May 2, 2019
The Hill says that hundreds of students from Issaquah High School organized a protest over the matter and the racist sentiment expressed on the sign.
Wyckoff says that while growing up is a process, this is a teachable moment that shouldn’t be passed up to make a point.
“Kids need to understand, when you’re celebrating things it doesn’t give you a pass on using inappropriate racial slurs.”
Sadly, this isn’t the only recent racist promposal incident that comes up when doing a Google or Twitter search for the words racist and promposal. Fox Los Angeles said a high school senior in East L.A. held a similarly racist sign to invite someone to prom. Students took photos and video of the female student holding a sign with a threatening racist message, “Do you want to be like a n****r and hang at prom?” It included a drawing of a figure hanging from a tree.
Fox 13 News in Sarasota, Florida, said a senior at Riverview High School also used the message about “picking cotton” on a sign posted on social media to ask his date to the prom, and faced similar outrage among the student body and parents.
The school’s principal, Kathy Wilks, says she is aware of the matter, and has been in touch with the student’s parents, and “appropriate action would be taken.” Wilks did not clarify whether the student would be able to attend the school prom.
