Parents Upset Over 'Degrading,' 'Offensive' Class Photo At Sawgrass Elementary School

[Are_grits_groceries]

A second grader at Sawgrass Elementary School in Sunrise, Fla., who didn't have the parental consent form to be in his class photo was nevertheless included, but in a way that has shocked school officials and the boy's parents, WPLG TV reports.

Per the elementary school's request, The Huffington Post blurred the faces of the other students in the photo, but the second grade boy can still be seen with a crude, brown-colored, smiley face placed over his face.

"It was totally inappropriate," Broward School District spokeswoman Marsy Smith told WPLG.
More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/05/parents-upset-over-degrading-school-photo_n_1406159.html

Smh

[MarianJack]

1. As the father of an African American son,...

Last edited Fri Apr 6, 2012, 09:12 PM - Edit history (1)

...I can quite easily say that if that had been done to my child, not only would My wife and I sued their asses off, I question if we'd have likely dismantled the whole damn school with our bare hands.

Fortunately, the school from which our son will soon be graduating 6th grade is a wonderful school where he is truly loved. Since he started there in Kindergarten 7 years ago, many of our decisions have been based keeping him in that school. We have no regrets about that at all.

It is awful what was done to that young man, all because someone didn't bother to follow the parents' wishes. Disgraceful.

PEACE!

[newfie11]

2. When will this racist shit ever end????

I am at a loss as to why someone would do this to a child (or any age). Sue their asses off!

[Live and Learn]

3. Wow

An adult thought that up? Unbelievable.

[Snake Alchemist]

4. Serious question. Would it have been better or worse if it was a smiley white face? nt

[lunatica]

5. Flame bait

And I think it's also borderline racist

[Snake Alchemist]

6. Not at all.

I hope this was an honest stupid mistake. I suppose it was better than publishing the photo of someone without permission. I would think that somewhere along the line a decision was made that they wanted smiley faces rather than creepy looking faceless people.

[trumad]

12. PWW

Posting while white.

Read the first post in this thread and you might realize just how fucking racist this is.

[Snake Alchemist]

13. That does not answer my original question. nt

[ceile]

27. Your question was not worth answering. n/t

[Snake Alchemist]

28. Always the answer of someone who cannot answer. nt.

[TalkingDog]

7. I disagree. It's an honest question.

The standard for racism: Something is done to someone because of their race that isn't done to people of other races.

If they can show that the same treatment was given to white children or asian children or hispanic children, then it's not racist.


Unless you can explain how this idea doesn't apply you, and everybody else, is over reacting.

[snooper2]

9. I don't understand your reasoning for that at all....

Please explain more-

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. It would have better if they realized they did not have permission to photograph him

and either called his parents for permission or left him out of the picture.

[Snake Alchemist]

16. I'm thinking that they didn't realize until well after the photo was taken. nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

18. Then, admit the error, and don't publish the photograph.

they had quite a few options here.

[Snake Alchemist]

19. Looks like according to Spazito below it was a PTA decision. nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

21. Right, but they shouldn't have made that decision.

It's reprehensible.

[Rex]

8. How completely bizarre imo.

Things that make you shake your head...

[LeftinOH]

10. Apart from that, those are huge looking kids for second grade. n/t

[Fla Dem]

11. No Parental Permission for photo, child should not have been included.

What was the point of getting parental permission? The school simply should not have let the child be included in the class picture. The parents may have then been upset their child was excluded, but it would have been their own fault. If the child did not give the permission slip to his parents, well lesson learned. Maybe next time he'll be more responsible. But to do what this photographer did, just leaves me speechless. Oh, it's Floriduh. Nuf said.

[Spazito]

14. it seems it was the PTA that requested the 'smiley face'...

as opposed to it being the photographer who made that decision. Here is his explanation:

"As he tells it, after the picture was taken a liaison with the Parent Teacher's Association, that helped organize the photo shoot at the school, notified them that two of the students pictured needed to be removed because their parents did not sign a consent form.

Claussen said he was able to use the photo editing software Adobe Photoshop to lift one of the kids out, but had explained to them that there was a problem with the second student. He was sitting in the front row, right in the middle.

He showed me the notes he had written down on a white piece of paper as the pair discussed what to do. He said he would have gladly come out there to reshoot the image. Instead there was talk about putting a star over his face and then, he said, the P.T.A. asked him to place a smiley face.

He's never received a request like that before. In the nearly four decades he's been in business he told Local 10 he's never done such a thing."

http://www.local10.com/news/Parents-call-school-photo-offensive-degrading/-/1717324/10151720/-/2yu1sjz/-/

[Drahthaardogs]

17. I call Shenanigans!!!

There is NO WAY those are second graders. I have a BIG fourth grader, and these kids would dwarf him. This is a good old-fashioned pot stirring. Those are Jr. High students.

[ScreamingMeemie]

22. We have no idea what the size of the chairs are. One child's legs are dangling.

I am judging, by the clothing, that they are 2nd graders. And I'm assuming (yes, I know, I shouldn't do that) that the chairs are small. Why? Because my middle school son would not ever show up to school in any of those outfits. Not even for a picture.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. From the clothes, I also think it's an older picture.

[Ikonoklast]

25. I'm with you, those are gigantic second-graders.

This is total B.S.

[chrisa]

20. That's pretty awful.

And furthermore, wouldn't it be more sensible to call the parents and ask for the consent form, or simply just retake the picture?

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. I'm sorry. But what was the point?

This is just stupid.

[slampoet]

26. FLORIDA!!

[Pacafishmate]

29. People that find this offensive need to find something better to do with their time.