School District Apologizes For Student KKK Skit
UPPER DARBY, Pa. (AP) - A Philadelphia-area school district superintendent has apologized for a class skit in which students dressed in Ku Klux Klan-like outfits, calling the activity "inappropriate" and showing "poor judgment."
Superintendent Richard Dunlap of the Upper Darby School District sent a message of apology to parents and the community Friday after a photo of the students surfaced on social media Thursday night. The photo showed three students dressed in white shirts bearing the letter "K'' and wearing conical hoods concealing their faces.
Dunlap said the photo stemmed from a project in an Upper Darby High School history class during the 2014-15 year to illustrate the historical impact of the 1920s. Among the skits associated with the project was one "intended to identify and highlight the atrocities of the Ku Klux Klan," he said.
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"The photo has offended many in the community, and the Upper Darby School District is deeply sorry for this," Dunlap's message said. "Though there was no intention to harm or offend anyone, we recognize that the project was in poor judgment and an inappropriate activity."
Dunlap said the staff, board and administration of the Delaware County district have been undergoing diversity training, and a plan to address diversity will also be implemented for students as well. He said the district will try to use the episode "as a teachable moment regarding cultural, historical, and racial understanding."
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