Teacher who allowed student to wear KKK costume banned from school

‘This does not represent the character of our students and staff at Southern Middle School or our district as a whole’

File photo: A KKK rally on 21 August 1999 in Cleveland, Ohio. A middle school teacher in Pulaski County, Kentucky, was suspended after she allowed a student to dress up as a KKK grand wizard as part of a history project (AFP/Getty Images)

A middle school teacher in Pulaski County, Kentucky, was suspended after she allowed a student to dress up as a KKK grand wizard as part of a history project.

The Pulaski County school district also launched an investigation into the incident, that will be reported to the Educational Professional Standards Board.

“First and foremost, I am extremely disappointed and embarrassed by this incident,” Patrick Richardson, the superintendent of the school district, said in a statement.

“I would hope our school and community realise that this does not represent the character of our students and staff at Southern Middle School or our district as a whole,” he said.

He also said that a video circulating of the incident had the wrong teacher’s contact information on it.

“She is completely innocent in this matter and deserves to be treated as such,” he said in the statement, referring to the contact details. “I am deeply apologetic for this situation and I am taking immediate steps to address the matter.”

“That teacher should be ashamed of herself,” Jane Leclercq, a grandparent of a student who goes to the school, told local media. “Why would a teacher actually approve something like that? I don’t understand, I’m outraged, it’s ridiculous.”

Community organiser Kathy Townsend said she was shocked and angered to hear about what happened.

“The KKK represents hate, simple as that. This is harmful.”