School District Officials Investigating 'Pro-Slavery' T-Shirt Incident

Updated 5:36 p.m. Nov. 18, 2011: Parents and students from Columbia High School have complained that a student volleyball team wore offensive and racist t-shirts to a recent game.

The t-shirts were apparently seen on a group of CHS students during a student council-sponsored volleyball game Wednesday, which raised money for student activities.

On Friday, officials from the South Orange-Maplewood School District said they would investigate the incident.

Their statement read as follows:

“While we recognize a limited right of student free speech in a public school setting, communication that is demeaning or derogatory is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

This matter is the subject of ongoing investigation. We are not able to discuss the details pertaining to any particular student. The district’s Code of Conduct provides a spectrum of consequences and interventions based on the history of the student and the severity of behavior.

CHS will continue to implement programs and services to assure that an environment respectful of all and conducive to learning continues.”

Parents and other adults emailing Maplewood Patch complained that "a group of students that attended and played in the tournament wore t-shirts that displayed pro-slavery ideals." One parent wrote that a student team "embraced the old south, wearing t-shirts that could very easily be construed as racist." The parent said that she was only in attendance briefly and was not aware of the situation until students, including her own children, informed her of it on Thursday afternoon. She said her children were upset, but they reported that some of the teachers addressed the issue during classes on Thursday.

Students reported that the team was named either "The Southerners" or "The South." Some of the shirts had "1861" printed on them, others "the Mason Dixon Line." One parent characterized some people present as being "offended," while others were "unfazed."

CHS Principal Dr. Lovie Lilly addressed the issue on Friday morning in a loudspeaker announcement to the entire school. A student also reported to Patch that there was a schoolwide assembly at 2 p.m. on Friday.

A student present at the volleyball event told Patch that she observed that team members were asked to turn their shirts inside-out at the game on Wednesday so the words wouldn't be visible. She noted that one student refused; two school faculty later confirmed that that student was suspended, though the district cannot confirm individual student actions. 

"I was shocked and upset that kids in my school, who I know, would wear shirts like that. I don't know if they thought it was funny, but there can be a lot of truth in humor," said a sophomore who was present at the game. "I have lived here my whole life and I never knew that people in this town would wear Confederate symbols, knowing what that stands for."

Marcia Worth contributed to this report.