High School Students Wear T-Shirts Spelling Out Racial Slur For Senior Photo Day

Seniors at a high school in Phoenix have caused an uproar in their community with the T-shirts they wore to a school photo shoot. 

Several female high school students decided to wear black T-shirts with gold letters to their senior photo shoot. Although the T-shirts were meant to say “BEST*YOU’VE*EVER*SEEN*CLASS*OF*2016.”, some of the participants posed together so that their shirts spelled out an offensive racial slur. Someone took a picture with their cellphone and uploaded it to Snapchat.

Superintendent Kenneth R. Baca said in a statement:

It is unacceptable for any racial slur to be used regardless of intent. We need to understand that words matter. I can assure you the appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.

Allegedly, the group of girls have received a five-day suspension. Some are now asking the school for a harsher punishment. A petition has been started on Change.org calling for the students to be expelled and Principal Christine Barela to be fired.  Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio posted a response on Facebook saying that he’d spoken to police and learned the six seniors had been receiving threats. Reports of increased tensions at the school resulted in extra police being brought in for security.