Racially Offensive Florida Prom Invitation Stirs Backlash

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

SARASOTA (CBSMiami/AP) — A teenager in Sarasota is in hot water over the 'promposal' he came up with.

The high school student stirred a backlash when he held up a sign with a racially offensive message to invite his girlfriend to the prom.

The Herald-Tribune reports the 18-year-old Riverview High School student's sign read: "If I was black, I'd be picking cotton, but I'm white, so I'm picking u 4 prom."

After a photo of the sign was posted on Snapchat and shared across social media, school officials say they're investigating.

Sarasota school district spokeswoman Tracey Beeker says administrators have spoken to the student and his parents.

In a robocall to Riverview parents, acting principal Kathy Wilks said the school does not "condone or support" the student's message.

An NAACP official encouraged school administrators to issue a district-wide response making it clear that the sign was inappropriate.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.