SWANTON, Ohio — A Swanton High School student's homecoming invitation -- which included a racist remark on a poster he used to ask a girl to the dance -- has prompted school administrators to condemn the message and reach out to the teen's parent.
The invitation came to light after a photo of the teen and his intended date was posted on social media in recent days.
In the photo, the teen is holding a poster that says, "If I was Black I'd be picking cotton but I'm white so I'm picking U 4 hoco."
Asked about the social post Sunday, Swanton Superintendent Chris Lake said he was disappointed by the student's actions and shared a statement from the district with WTOL 11.
"We are deeply shocked that a student would think it is acceptable to make such a comment and even more shocked that any parent would allow their student to make such a sign," the statement said in part.
School officials condemned the message and said administrators from the high school had reached out to the boy's parent. Administrators plan to speak to the boy when school resumes Monday, they said.
The district's statement also said Swanton students are taught to "treat all people with dignity and respect regardless of race, creed, color or orientation."
"Unfortunately, when students leave our buildings and go into an environment where this type of racist sentiment is allowed to go unchecked it complicates all of our efforts," the statement reads. "Nevertheless, we will persevere in our efforts to mold our students into compassionate individuals who treat others with respect. As distasteful as this event is, it will provide a lesson to all of our students on what is and is not acceptable in today's society."
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