Students carve racist symbols into Halloween pumpkins

An eastern Pennsylvania school district is dealing with a second race-related incident in just over a week, investigating a Facebook photo showing current and former students posing with pumpkins carved with racist symbols.

The Coatesville Area School District says it appears the photo was taken off school grounds and after school hours.

Superintendent Cathy Taschner says the district will ‘exercise its full authority’ to send a message that the picture and carvings are not acceptable.

Students standing in front of pumpkins with carved swastika and KKK emerge on Wednesday

‘We will not tolerate it in our schools,’ said Taschner. ‘We will work to educate children and we will work to continue to educate staff. And we’ve been doing a lot of that.’

Superintendent Cathy Taschner (pictured) says the district will ‘exercise its full authority’ in the matter

The pumpkins included one with a swastika, and another with the letters KKK.

Rahmeer Frazier, a senior at Coatesville Area High School, told ABC affiliate WPVI during a demonstration protesting the racist images that people should come together and reject bigotry as a community.

‘We’re trying to make a point… We’re not out here causing chaos, we’re not out here causing a ruckus, we’re trying to make a point because this is something we care about and we’re standing on it,’ Frazier said.

The photo shows four young people posing behind the pumpkins. Cain Township police are also investigating.

It remains unclear if the students were reprimanded by the school district or their local high school.

Students at Coatesville Area High School held a protest on school property in the wake of the incident

Earlier this month, a black baby doll was found hanging in a Coatesville High School locker with a tie around its neck.

Taschner says it was a ‘foolish prank,’ not a hate crime.

The school district later released a statement, saying that such acts of discrimination were unacceptable and would not be tolerated.

‘The Coatesville Area School District is a caring school community that will not be defined by acts of hatred,’ the statement said.

‘We simply cannot accept this, and will do all we can to ensure that our community realizes that there is simply no place for hate in our school district,’ it added.

Student Council President Naomi Lee said students has a right to be over the recent incidents, but called for calm as the situation moves forward.

‘We have to be calm about this. You can’t act out or make the situation any worse than it is already,’ said Lee. ‘It is pretty hard and it is a lot that is happening right now.’

Police say that there is little legal recourse that can applied to the matter, but added that the individuals involved in both cases with be subject to sensitivity training.

A black baby doll was also found hanging in a Coatesville High School locker with a tie around its neck earlier this month

Full Statement by The Coatesville Area School District

‘We are extremely disappointed that any of our students would display this kind of hatred and vile behavior. It’s reprehensible and intolerable, and this photo causes deep sadness and concern. We work extremely hard to promote a tolerant, respectful, inclusive learning environment, and this is in direct opposition to everything we stand for and believe in.

The photo appears to be taken outside of school hours and not on school property. While the law is specific as to the authority it confers upon schools for school-imposed discipline, the District will exercise its full authority it may have within those limits. Upon learning of the incident, our administrators immediately turned the photo over to police, and administrators are contacting parents of the students pictured.

We’ll be investigating the incident and continuing to work with our local equity agencies, including the PA Human Relations Commission, Mid Atlantic Equity Center, and NAACP this week as we are offering facilitated conversations for students about racism.

The Coatesville Area School District is a caring school community that will not be defined by acts of hatred. We are encouraged by the outpouring of communication from students who reported this, and the many outstanding students who, on a daily basis, continue to do the right thing and who continue to stand in unity.

We simply cannot accept this, and will do all we can to ensure that our community realizes that there is simply no place for hate in our school district.’

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