A white teen at a high school in Big Lake, Minnesota, proposed to a potential prom date using a racist message.
Earlier this week, the two students posted a racist “promposal” on Facebook that read: “If I was Black, I’d be picking cotton. But I’m white, so I’m picking you.” The post has since gone viral, and now parents and students of the Big Lake District are outraged and calling for a change to be made, according to Fox 9.
“I was very disgusted,” said Carrie Hatch, a Black mother of two students in the school district.” It was a lot of emotions…anger was probably the initial emotion.” Her daughter is the one who told her about the incident. Hatch says she is concerned about her children’s well-being at school.
“I asked the principal do my children need to come to school with full-body armor and an escort to make sure that they’re safe?” she said. “There are not many students of color at the school, maybe less than 10, so I know she’s going to get singled out. I was looking for [school administrators] to give me some kind of comfort and tell me that my child is going to be safe, but I got nothing.”
News outlets have yet to release the students’ names, but according to a Facebook post by Chris Ricker, the two students involved were Tyler Gangnon and Miranda Segner. A spokesperson for the district declined an interview with a local news station, Fox 9. However, it did follow up with a statement.
“The School District is taking this report very seriously and is in the process of investigating this matter. We will be evaluating it under any and all applicable School District policies and will take whatever action is necessary and appropriate to address the situation…Big Lake Schools does not condone racism in any form. Our school has been committed to implementing the Hornet Way as a way to develop and guide our students’ character and actions. The Hornet Way teaches the values of respect, honesty, kindness, responsibility, and fairness.”
But, students said an apology isn’t enough. “I want the school district to take accountability,” said Samara Pearson, a sophomore at Big Lake High School. “They need to show and set an example of what to do in this situation.”
A former student said the two students involved she be removed from the institution.” I would feel more comfortable if they were taken out of the school,” said the former Big Lake High School student. “I just can’t imagine how the people that look like me there at the school can feel loved, accepted, or even respected, especially with the weak message the school put out. It didn’t feel like they had our back at all.”
