‘Picking cotton’ sign spurs Olathe leader to ask parents to help district fight racism
The Olathe school district is working to prevent another incident like a student’s racist homecoming sign, Superintendent Brent Yeager said Thursday, but he also called on parents to do their part to educate children.
“Our school system is responsible for part of this work, but we need your help,” he said in a letter to the community.
He encouraged parents to talk with their children about the importance of “treating all people with respect and dignity. Encourage open dialogue with your kids about these challenging topics.”
Last weekend, a photo circulated of a white male Olathe South High School student asking a white female St. James Academy student to homecoming using a sign that read: “If I was Black I would be picking cotton but I’m white so I’m picking you for HOCO.”
Officials with both the Olathe school district and the parochial school in Lenexa have said they are investigating and determining appropriate disciplinary action. But in his letter, Yeager maintained that he “cannot share details related to the students involved in this incident because of federal law.”
“The behavior exhibited in this situation is unacceptable and does not reflect our core value of inclusivity,” he wrote. “… I want you to know that we are steadfast in our commitment to creating an inclusive and safe environment for ALL students.”
He said the district’s Department of Diversity and Engagement is leading efforts to address students’ concerns and combat such racism.
“I am deeply saddened that this happened in our community. However, this should serve as message to all of us to come together, to create positive change,” he wrote. “Creating an inclusive community is incumbent on all of us. As adults, we should be providing the tools and modeling to help students create a culture where this behavior isn’t acceptable.”
Yeager said he met with students representing each of the district’s high schools. He said the students are “committed to this change, but expressed a desire for our adult support. This group of 20 students clearly recognized that these challenges are real within the walls of our schools and within our community. They want to keep this from happening.”
This past spring, the Olathe school board unanimously agreed to fire Olathe North High School’s head baseball coach Pete Flood after he allegedly used a racial slur toward a Black player.
Meanwhile, other districts across the Kansas City metro grapple with how to handle similar incidents of racism.
On Wednesday, Raytown Superintendent Allan Markley said in a letter that the district was aware of a Raytown High School teacher using a racial slur during class, and that the teacher’s actions will be addressed by the school board policy.
Officials in the Park Hill school district are investigating a racist petition calling for a return of slavery, which was circulated online by students at Park Hill South High School. Earlier this week, Superintendent Jeanette Cowherd said the district will hire an expert to help create a “plan of action” to accelerate diversity and inclusion work.
In July, the Lee’s Summit school board reinstated a teacher and coach, going against the superintendent’s recommendation that he be terminated. While filing a disciplinary report, the teacher repeated a racial slur to a student, whom he was writing up for using the slur.
Around the same time, a Harrisonville High School science teacher was fired by the school board after he was accused of making several inappropriate and racist comments.
This story was originally published September 30, 2021 at 4:26 PM.
