News

Actions

Michigan high school faces backlash for racist prom proposal

Posted at 3:09 PM, May 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-01 15:09:59-04

VERMONTVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan superintendent says racism won’t be tolerated after a photo surfaced of a high school student asking another student to prom with a racially offensive sign.

Maple Valley High School in Vermontville Township is facing backlash for the photo on Instagram. It shows two students holding a sign that reads, “If I was black id be picking cotton … but im white so im picking you for prom?”

The same statement was used on prom signs in Florida and Missouri that also triggered backlash.

Records show the Michigan district has six black students, which amounts to less than 0.5 percent of the student body.

Superintendent Michelle Falcon issued a statement Monday saying the district is taking “appropriate action” but couldn’t publicly detail consequences the students could face. Their names haven’t been released.