The Visalia Unified School District in South-Central California has launched an investigation after a photo that surfaced on social media raised concerns. The photo shows a group of about 10 students at Redwood High School, donning shirts with letters and numbers that spell out something that the district has said is a “hateful homophobic slur,” according to ABC 7.
“A lot of people at school, including the senior class, are really upset about the ignorant and rash actions of people who were in the photo,” said an unnamed Redwood High senior.
According to officials, the photo was taken Thursday, February 12, during school hours. It was taken immediately after a senior class photo shoot. The students seen in the photo are all seniors.
What does the photo show?
The senior photo shows that the shirts spelled out “Class of 2026 Always Legit,” before the letters were rearranged to say the derogatory word. A Redwood senior told ABC30 Action News when the photo was taken, the gym was filled with hundreds of students. The senior also revealed that the people in the photo were leaders on campus.
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“They are widely known in school. They’re supposed to be leading by example with the clubs that they run and represent, and people are just really mad because online things can surface really fast,” said the Redwood High senior.
The district has condemned the students’ actions. The principal said in a statement that the behavior was “unacceptable.”
Investigation underway
Both the school campus and the district office are now conducting an investigation into the incident. “We want the whole community to know that this is not representative of our values or the values of any of our school campuses. We also want families to know that there will be consequences for this very serious behavior,” said Natali Garza, Executive Director of Student Services.
Meanwhile, the Source LGBT+ Center, located in Visalia, said that they have been receiving multiple calls since the photo was posted. In response, they subsequently held a youth and community forum on Friday.
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“Hate speech does have a direct impact on not only student performance, but also students’ feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideations. We’re seeing kids start to model behaviors that they’re seeing in adults engaging, now we’re seeing that trickle down into our schools,” said Ericka Hawkyard, The Source Visalia Director of Programs.
The district was unable to specify what punishment the students involved will be given. However, it said that the consequences could be serious, including suspension and loss of privileges. It will be determined by the district’s code of conduct.