Staff members have been fired at a school in South Carolina after photos emerged of employees dressed up as U.S. Border Patrol agents representing Mexican culture at an event last week.
The incident occurred at an “Olympic Parade” back-to-school event for staff members at Royall Elementary School in Florence, South Carolina.
In the images, which were posted to the school’s Facebook page before being removed, two staff members were seen wearing gray T-shirts reading “U.S. Border Patrol” in front of a fake brick wall. Other employees were seen wearing sombrero hats and Hispanic attire.
Dr. Richard O’Malley, the superintendent of Florence 1 Schools district, wrote in a letter, obtained by The Post and Courier, that “due to the serious nature of this incident, several employees are no longer employed by the district or have been placed on leave by the district’s administration.”
He added: “As superintendent, I will not tolerate anything of this nature in our school district…I want to assure the Royall Community that the school will continue to provide an exceptional education for all students, with the high expectations and excellence in student achievement that have always been provided by our staff at Royall.”
O’Malley also said that assistant superintendent of elementary education Michelle Wynn and director of STEM education Christopher Rogers would be stepping in as acting administrators.
It is not clear how many staff members were fired or placed on leave, or for how long.
Newsweek has contacted Royall Elementary School and Florence 1 Schools for comment outside of typical working hours.
I wonder where the teachers at Royall Elementary in Florence SC got the bright idea to represent Mexico with a border wall in their back-to-school “Olympic parade? pic.twitter.com/65Tbqk2C2Y
— Michael Harriot (@michaelharriot) August 1, 2024
The photo drew heavy criticism online after it was posted last week, with the Florence branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) expressing its “profound disappointment.”
“The Florence Branch of the NAACP would like to express our profound disappointment in the actions during the ‘Olympic parade’ at Royall Elementary School in Florence One Schools. We have followed the developments online, in the community and in the media. We have also contacted local elected officials,” it said in a statement.
It continued: “These actions by school officials foster an agenda that has no place in our public schools and can only cause confusion and conflict at the school, in the community, and on social media. We deserve better from those whom we entrust our children with on a daily basis.”
The NAACP branch added that it would continue to look at O’Malley’s actions “concerning the resolution of this matter” and will “advocate for a fair and just resolution.”
Royall Elementary School issued an apology for the incident on Thursday, acknowledging its “insensitive disregard for the current challenges our Hispanic population faces.”
“At Royall, we take great pride in our long-standing tradition of embracing and supporting every student who walks through the doors of our building,” it wrote on Facebook. “Our staff is unanimously committed to celebrating the diversity of our families and ensuring that each and every student at Royall is successful, happy, and recognized for his or her unique culture and abilities. We apologize for our insensitive, but look forward to fostering relationships as we begin a new school year. “
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The U.S. has faced an immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border for numerous years, and remains a critical issue ahead of this year’s presidential election in November.
A number of controversial policies have been implemented to try to reduce immigration rates at the border, including former President Donald Trump‘s pledge to build a border wall.
However, arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border plummeted by nearly a third in July to a new low under President Joe Biden‘s administration.
U.S. Border Patrol is expected to have arrested around 57,000 migrants in July, down from 83,536 arrests in June, the previous lowest figure in Biden’s presidency. San Diego, California, was the busiest corridor for unlawful crossings in July, followed by Tucson, Arizona.
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