Student wore KKK costume as a ‘dare’ before it was confiscated, CA principal says
A California high school student wore a Ku Klux Klan costume as a “dare” before it was confiscated, the school’s principal said.
The student made it through the first four periods on Oct. 27 wearing the outfit at Pittsburg High School in Contra Costa County, Principal Todd Whitmire said in a statement sent to the school community and McClatchy News.
Photos of the costume spread on social media and “many students, staff, and community members are upset and concerned,” Whitmire said.
The student, who is not named, “has been assigned consequences for his actions,” the principal said.
One student told KGO-TV it makes no difference if the costume was worn as a dare.
“Even if it was a ‘dare,’ that’s still disrespectful to like, you know our kind, and stuff, that’s still disrespectful,” student Robert Williams told the news outlet.
Whitmire said that “we are very disappointed and concerned with the actions of this student.
“We are committed to addressing what has occurred and working with this student to help him recognize the harm his actions have caused and, just as importantly, the responsibility he has, along with our school, to help repair the harm,” Whitmire said.
The principal said the student will also be required to participate in the school’s “restorative justice process to learn how his actions have impacted and harmed others. He will also work with our restorative justice ambassadors, parents, and staff to begin repairing the harm he has caused.”
Some students initially mistook the KKK costume for a ghost costume, they told KPIX-TV.
“Everyone assumed he was a ghost at first and then people found out he was a KKK member as a joke,” sophomore Addis Harris said to the TV station. “Apparently his friends dared him to do it and because his friends are of color, they thought it was okay. But it’s still not okay.”
The student hid the top part of his KKK costume and wore it “for moments at a time until staff discovered it after fourth period and confiscated it,” according to a district statement provided to McClatchy News.
The KKK is considered the oldest hate group in America, primarily targeting Black citizens, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. It also has targeted Jews, LGBTQ community members and Catholics.
The group formed after the American Civil War ended in 1865.
This story was originally published October 29, 2021 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Student wore KKK costume as a ‘dare’ before it was confiscated, CA principal says."
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