An elementary school in South Carolina has fired or placed on administrative leave several staff members after pictures surfaced of them wearing "Border Patrol" T-shirts and other insensitive attire during a Hispanic heritage celebration event.
An elementary school in South Carolina is facing backlash after pictures of staff in "Border Patrol" T-shirts surfaced on the district's Facebook page. The incident has led to the firing or administrative leave of several staff members, as well as changes to the school's leadership.
The Royall Elementary School staff who were featured in the photos have since been fired or placed on administrative leave, according to a letter sent out by Florence 1 Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard O'Malley.
South Carolina Elementary School Staff Fired for 'Border Patrol' T-shirts, Insensitive Hispanic Heritage Celebration
Florence 1 Schools posted the images, which have since been taken down, with two staff members wearing gray "Border Patrol" T-shirts during a Hispanic heritage celebration event held on Wednesday. Another image posted on the school's social media page showed staff members wearing sombreros and other attire and standing in front of a red brick wall with a "Royall Cantina" sign.
O'Malley acknowledged the controversial photo and issued a statement saying that an investigation into the situation was underway.
South Carolina Elementary School Staff Fired for 'Border Patrol' T-shirts, Insensitive Hispanic Heritage Celebration
"I was notified by my staff of an inappropriate social media post on one of our school’s Facebook accounts. What was posted, and the conduct of the staff involved, is inexcusable and not a representation of the school, its students and staff, or of our district as a whole," O'Malley wrote.
"Today this matter has been thoroughly investigated and those who contributed to this event have been held accountable for their decision-making and actions. There is no room for anything of this nature in our schools and I will not tolerate it in our school district." — Dr. Richard O'Malley, Superintendent, Florence 1 Schools
South Carolina Elementary School Staff Fired for 'Border Patrol' T-shirts, Insensitive Hispanic Heritage Celebration
O'Malley also issued a letter to all parents of the school district and shared it with Fox News Digital.
"Dear Royall Parents and Guardians, As you may be aware, an inappropriate event occurred Wednesday morning during a Professional Development day at Royall, prior to the first day of school. Subsequently, pictures of the event were posted on the school’s Facebook page. I wanted to inform you 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. As superintendent, I will not tolerate anything of this nature in our school district," the letter reads.
South Carolina Elementary School Staff Fired for 'Border Patrol' T-shirts, Insensitive Hispanic Heritage Celebration
O’Malley added that the district’s assistant superintendent of elementary education and its STEM director would serve as "acting administrators."
Royall Elementary School issued its own statement, acknowledging the images and apologizing for the "insensitivity."
"It is with regret that we acknowledge that a picture that was posted on our Facebook page yesterday showed an 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. 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 insensitivity but look forward to fostering relationships as we begin a new school year." — Royall Elementary School
The comments have been turned off on the school's apology post on Facebook.
