Principal apologizes after cheerleaders create offensive banner against Native Americans
On Friday, McAdory High (McCalla, Ala.) faced off against Pinson Valley High (Pinson) in the second round of the Alabama Class 5A playoffs. McAdory emerged victorious, 34-17, but the real headline came from what happened before the game kicked off.
As reported by AL.com, among other sources, McAdorys cheerleaders produced a traditional paper run-through banner for the team to break through as it entered this field. This time, the banner attempted to poke fun at the Pinson Valley mascot, the Indians, with a culturally insensitive reference to the Trail of Tears, an allusion to the forcible removal of Native Americans from the Southeast to modern day Oklahoma in the 1830s.
On Monday, the first day that the schools were back in session, McAdory principal Tod Humphries took full responsibility for the signs appearance in a full apology issued to the public via the schools website.
This was not condoned by the school administration, the Jefferson County Board of Education or the community. The person who would normally be responsible for approving such signs is out on maternity leave, and I take full responsibility that arrangements were not made to have the signs pre-approved before the ballgame. Please accept our sincere apologies to the Native American people and to anyone who was offended by the reference to an event that is a stain on our nations past forever.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/alabama-school-uses-trail-tears-reference-pregame-run-140337909.html
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