Black mannequin dragged by rope at Nevada HS football game
A Nevada high school student dragged a black mannequin on the ground with a rope during a recent football game in an incident caught on video.
The Damonte Ranch HS student was dressed as a cowboy riding the school’s mascot, a mustang, while he dragged the black and blue dummy behind him during the halftime parade at Friday’s homecoming game, according to video captured by News 4-Fox 11.
The Washoe County School District launched an investigation Friday night as soon as it learned of the incident, which many saw as “culturally, racially insensitive,” a spokesperson said.
“This incident and the behavior of those responsible is utterly inconsistent with our collective commitment to equity, diversity, responsibility, and kindness for all of our students and staff members,” the district said in a statement.
Damonte Ranch students had intended to buy a blowup cowboy and horse and then lasso a student dressed as the opposing school’s mascot, a Lancer knight, according to the school’s incident report obtained by the Reno Gazette Journal.
The plan then changed and it was decided that a student would dress up as the cowboy and a blowup doll would serve as the knight — but class advisers weren’t told of the changes, the report said.
Students looked for a gray mannequin online to match the colors of the opposing school, McQueen. When they couldn’t find a gray dummy they bought a black one instead, the report said.
The mannequin was supposed to be standing on a float but wouldn’t stay up, and “that’s why it ended up being dragged behind the student,” according to the report.
The display was intended to “demonstrate a traditional, friendly rivalry” and was never meant to be offensive or reminiscent of the lynchings of thousands of African Americans after the Civil War.
Still, “it is troubling that children are so poorly educated that they did not immediately know that the hanging of a black doll is hurtful and frightening,” Lonnie Feemster, president of the Reno-Sparks NAACP, told the Gazette Journal Monday.
Damonte school officials apologized in the report saying, “We completely understand how this was perceived and this could be offensive to anyone in attendance at the game.
“This is a valuable learning experience and lifelong lesson for our Damonte Ranch students and staff.”
via: https://nypost.com/2019/09/24/black-mannequin-dragged-by-rope-at-nevada-hs-football-game/
Photo Credit: Washoe County School District