A 6-year-old boy in Fort Scott, Kans., came home on Monday with an art-class project that shocked and unnerved his parents: a KKK hood. The boy's parents were so outraged that they removed their child from the school.
Dallas Smith, a first-grade student at Winfield-Scott Elementary,came home wearing a white KKK-fashioned hood that he had made in art class under the guidance of teacher Russ Gordon.
"It appears to look like a Ku Klux Klan hat, which is a heck of a thing to put on a 6-year-old boy," Dallas' father, Barry Smith, told NBC News.
The art instructor, who has been teaching his craft for 30 years, claims that art is eye candy; he uses it to teach the principals of shape, symmetry and texture.
Gordon says that students had free reign to design their own masks with paper. A poster was used to inspire the class and give them ideas to create their own visions for the masks. He also says that in all of his teaching years, not once has he experienced any negativity from the projects he helped his students create:
"It's just a creative shape that the kids can take a lot of different directions," he said. "I had kids make knights. I had kids make princesses. You can take it all different directions."
Instead, the teacher is pointing the finger at the 6-year-old child, saying Dallas himself chose the art direction he took.
Dallas' parents, however, aren't buying Gordon's explanations. When Dallas came home wearing a hat that look like a KKK hood, quite naturally his parents were not only puzzled but livid:
"My wife was fearful for my son, just because of the symbolism that goes along with this," Smith said.
When Smith confronted the school's principal and district superintendent the following morning, they apologized.
Suffice it to say, the Smiths took their son out of Winfield-Scott Elementary school and moved him in to a "safer" school environment in Pittsburg, Kans. The Smiths feel that the powers-that-be in their former school district are in dire need of sensitivity training. Meanwhile, Gordon is contemplating ending the mask project for good.
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This may very well be this childs introduction to the world of hate and racism.
Watch a group of multi-raced children playing together and you will not observe one ounce of hatred or judgement. It’s the constant barrage of others mal-formed opinions that eventually taint their perspectives.
Prior to this, he most likely thought all he had on his head was a really cool hat. Way to go America.
@Truth chile, those white folks teach their kids early way before this kids age. We are busy teaching our kids 1,2,3,a,b,c. While they are teaching their kids 1,2,3,a,b,c,nigga, black,African American.
Prime example of over reacting. I would not pull my son out of class for something HE made. The person who wrote this article was defenently bias and on the verge of dumb. Come on people lets be better at picking our fights.
I agree, this is about as racist as it gets. Yes, I'm White, and I would not tolerate this at any school. Geometric shapes? Sure! Kansas I am not surprised, I have heard horror stories about Kansas. Thank-God I'm I'm Cali.Fire the teacher, and move out of Kansas.And there is nothing funny about this at all. It's sick.
Symbolism only counts if you do it on purpose. This proud innocent kid brought home an art project and his parents yanked him out of school. That's the last time he'll make that mistake.
Last night my 3 year old was counting down on her fingers and when she got to 1, she looked at me with a big proud smile and flipped me the bird! I could have taken offense and made a big fuss, but of course she meant nothing by it, and I just smiled and told her what a good job she did.
Comments: (86)
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By: ARNEADER on 10/08/2010 10:28AM
FIRE the teacher! Don't insult our intelligence!
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By: The truth on 10/08/2010 10:55AM
This may very well be this childs introduction to the world of hate and racism.
Watch a group of multi-raced children playing together and you will not observe one ounce of hatred or judgement. It’s the constant barrage of others mal-formed opinions that eventually taint their perspectives.
Prior to this, he most likely thought all he had on his head was a really cool hat.
Way to go America.
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By: ARNEADER on 10/08/2010 2:36PM
@Truth chile, those white folks teach their kids early way before this kids age. We are busy teaching our kids 1,2,3,a,b,c. While they are teaching their kids 1,2,3,a,b,c,nigga, black,African American.
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By: Whitey on 10/08/2010 3:29PM
What is wrong with it? Got to teach.
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By: ARNEADER on 10/11/2010 12:19PM
LMAO
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By: aaron on 10/11/2010 12:30PM
Prime example of over reacting. I would not pull my son out of class for something HE made. The person who wrote this article was defenently bias and on the verge of dumb. Come on people lets be better at picking our fights.
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By: blondegreeneyez8 on 10/11/2010 7:25PM
I agree, this is about as racist as it gets. Yes, I'm White, and I would not tolerate this at any school. Geometric shapes? Sure! Kansas I am not surprised, I have heard horror stories about Kansas. Thank-God I'm I'm Cali.Fire the teacher, and move out of Kansas.And there is nothing funny about this at all. It's sick.
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By: ARNEADER on 10/11/2010 8:30PM
@blondegreeneyez8 A previous post was written about "Whitey's" comment and it was funny as HELL! It's been deleted but I SECOND THAT MOTION!
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By: paul on 10/08/2010 11:34AM
Symbolism only counts if you do it on purpose. This proud innocent kid brought home an art project and his parents yanked him out of school. That's the last time he'll make that mistake.
Last night my 3 year old was counting down on her fingers and when she got to 1, she looked at me with a big proud smile and flipped me the bird! I could have taken offense and made a big fuss, but of course she meant nothing by it, and I just smiled and told her what a good job she did.
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By: ARNEADER on 10/08/2010 5:12PM
You are funny!
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