A US high school student is banned from his school prom after his 'promposal' to a girl involving a racist sign went viral online.
In an image posted to social media, the student holds a handmade, multicoloured sign reading: "If I was black I'd be picking cotton but I'm white so I'm picking u (sic) for prom."
- 'Love, not hate': Thousands march against racism in Auckland
- 'Love and solidarity': Posters against racism hit Christchurch streets
The sign is a reference to the work many African-American plantation slaves were forced into in the 1800s.
Superintendent of the Clear Fork Valley Local School District in the state of Ohio, Janice Wyckoff, labelled the sign "awful". She said the student took down the offensive picture after realising the severity of his actions.
The girl subjected to the student's discriminatory sign reportedly does not attend school in Ohio's Clear Fork Valley Local School District. The incident did not take place on school grounds.
The student will not be going to the prom. No other comments have been made regarding further punitive action.
The racist slogan is not new. This latest 'promposal' follows the lead of another student who asked his girlfriend to a school dance in 2018 using the exact same phrase.
Wyckoff reiterated that kids need to understand that offensive comments and racial slurs are not permissible at any time, regardless of the context.
Newshub.
