2 students face ‘severe consequences’ for racist ‘promposal’ sign, principal says

Palos Verdes High School in California. Screen capture by KTLA5 via YouTube video

The blowback is just beginning for two California high school students who posted a photo of themselves holding a racist sign as school officials discuss effective ways to handle the incident.

Public outrage ensued after the two Palos Verdes High School students posted the photo, which shows them holding a sign that bears a racist epithet, The Los Angeles Times reports. That has spurred the school’s principal, Allan Tyner, to visit classrooms to discuss the incident, and he said so in a statement Wednesday, The Hill reports.

“Today I will be meeting with all students, class by class,” he wrote. “We will review appropriate behavior and how the use of hurtful racial slurs like the one used on this recent picture posted on social media is unacceptable. I know that this one unfortunate event does not represent us as a school community.”

He concluded by adding that racist acts and words have no place at school.

“Racist words and racist acts have no place in our school community. We will rise above this, learn from this, and be a better school community because of this.”

The words on the sign look as though they were written with markers or pens but six letters are capitalized and in different colors to spell the n-word.

“Bianca, you are racist, but I would give anything for you to go with me to prom,” it says.

The photo has spurred some students and parents to anger, and some are calling for the school to investigate.

School officials are trying to determine who took the photo and if anyone else was involved.

One Twitter user who attends the high school took to the social media giant to air her disgust.

“I’m calling on my school to take action against this vile display of racism.”

As for the two students involved, things look less than rosy.

In a statement to the Times, Tyner said the school has contacted the pair and their families and noted: “We are forming a response and anticipate severe consequences.”

“Promposals” with racist messages are part of a disturbing trend that’s popping up all over the country ā€” in places like Ohio, Arizona, New York, and Texas.

Let’s hope this trend, like the cinnamon and Tide pod challenges, goes out of style. Quickly. Unlike these former trends, however, “promposals” like this are cruel and hurt innocent people.

Featured photo courtesy of the video above