Racial Tensions Simmer In Birmingham After KKK Photo Posted To Snapchat

BIRMINGHAM, MI — Birmingham schools students involved in posting a racially insensitive picture on social media “have been given disciplinary consequences,” according to a letter sent to parents Thursday evening from Berkshire Middle School Principal Jason Clinkscale. On May 27, a picture depicting a white male student wearing a white trash bag over his head with the eyes cut out and the letters “KKK” written in red over it were posted to Snapchat.

Students from Berkshire’s band, orchestra and choir were on a trip to Cedar Point when “two Berkshire students made an extremely inappropriate choice,” Clinkscale wrote. The letter to parents didn’t specify how many students were punished, or what kind of punishment they received. A phone call to the district from the Birmingham Patch for clarification wasn’t immediately returned.

“We were saddened to hear about this incident and want to be clear that this type of behavior, if confirmed through our investigation, is not acceptable,” Birmingham Superintendent Daniel Nerad said in a statement released prior to Clinkscale’s letter.

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A WXYZ-TV report posted on May 29 was the first time the district heard about the incident. Clinkscale began his investigation on May 31, his letter to parents stated. He said he addressed students and staff to update them on the situation and “we would be continuing to focus on identifying and addressing any other potential incidents of racial intolerance or peer mistreatment,” Clinkscale wrote.

In addition, the principal said he assigned staff with discussion and writing prompts to be used during “Creating a Caring Community” classes on Thursday and Friday. Clinkscale, who has been principal at the school since 2011, said the activities would be followed up with “grade level assemblies to speak about our future plans and to allow students additional opportunities to share their ideas, thoughts and/or concerns.”

Problems stemming from the Cedar Point bus ride aren’t the first the district has encountered this school year, according to students. In the WXYZ-TV report, 12-year-old Morgan Hough was interviewed and said racist remarks aren’t out of the norm at Berkshire Middle School.

“They’re saying the ‘N’ word directly to me or I hear them directly in the hallway saying it,” she told the television station. “One boy told me that black people are dumb.”

Attacks have gotten personnel, too, Hough said. “They didn’t like my skin or my hair. They didn’t like anything about myself. I wanted to be white.”

Hough said the photo posted to Snapchat was treated as just a joke by students. “I saw the photo andy were laugh about it, thinking it was funny” she told WXYZ-TV. “It really wasn’t funny at all.”

Kennedy Banks, 13, was also interviewed by the television station and teared up when talking about the incident. “No child should ever have to through this. When has it ever been a joke? When has my race or ethnicity ever been a joke? You have never been through the things we have been through. You don’t have to be afraid.”

In his letter, Principal Clinkscale said his school will continue to work toward eliminating racially insensitive behavior at Berkshire.

“Furthermore, it is essential that we continue to create an educational environment that is all inclusive, safe and welcoming for all of our students,” Clinkscale wrote. “Therefore, it is also important for everyone to know that we have and will continue to appropriately address in a timely fashion any concerns that are brought to the attention of the Berkshire administration.”

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Photo courtesy of Google Maps.