South-Carolina
Several staffers fired after ‘insensitive’ Mexican costumes at South Carolina school sparks outrage
Several South Carolina elementary school staffers were canned after photos emerged showing employees posing as Border Patrol agents and wearing stereotypical Mexican clothing at a school event this week, officials said.
Staff members at Royall Elementary School in Florence donned the offensive outfits for an “Olympic Parade” event on Wednesday — a professional development day before students’ first day of class.
Photos from the event posted to the school’s Facebook page showed two employees wearing sunglasses and gray shirts with “US Border Patrol” posing in front of a hand-made brick wall display.
In another picture, several staffers wore bright-colored sombreros in front of a sign that said Royall “Cantina” — Spanish for “bar.”
Dozens of parents and community members took to social media to condemn the images as racist and unacceptable, WCIV reported.
“There were so many other ways to represent Mexico in the “Olympic Parade” Neither Border Patrol actually has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with “Back to School” or the “Olympics” in case yall did not know! And a “Cantina” is also an inappropriate representation of the Mexican culture,” posted one mother of a Royall student, who wished to be anonymous.
The mom’s post has gone viral with backlash pouring in from all over the country, calling the teachers’ actions “insensitive,” according to WCIV.
Annette Fling, a Mexican-American mother who has children in the district, called the stunt “a disgrace.”
“As a Mexican American, as an Hispanic woman, as a mother of biracial Hispanic children in the Florence 1 School district. I’m highly offended, highly offended,” Fling told the outlet.
“These are educators with degrees that should have known better. Out of all the things they could have done to the culture, community, country of Mexico, they chose to use the U.S. Border Patrol,” she continued. “And Royal Cantina, which is a Spanish word for bar. Inappropriate, racial. Just all around flat out a disgrace.”
School District Superintendent Richard O’Malley contacted parents and said that several employees were fired over the controversy.
“I wanted to inform you that, due to the serious nature of this incident, several employees are no longer employed by the district or have been placed on leave by the district’s administration. As superintendent, I will not tolerate anything of this nature in our school district,” O’Malley said in Friday email, obtained by the Post and Courier.
It’s unclear which, if any, of the employees pictured were among those let go.
The school also offered an apology saying the post showed “an insensitive disregard for the current challenges our Hispanic population faces.”
The Post has reached out to school and district officials for comment.
The Racial Justice Network released a statement and accused the district of having a “habitual past of displaying discrimination” and blamed the teachers for pushing “Trump’s agenda,” WPDE reported.
“There was a lot of work, time, effort, and thought put into this display. There was no regard for the students and how some would feel and what message they were sending to others,” the organization said.
“We would like to know what the motives behind this were and what did the school hope to gain from this. The only thing they would gain would be to push Former President Trump’s agenda. School is no place for racism and politics,” they said.
Week 9 presents an interesting challenge for the Texas A&M Aggies as they hit the road against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Granted, last year under coach Jimbo Fisher, the Aggies had no runway to say any game would have been “easy,” but the Gamecocks certainly struggled, even with Spencer Rattler calling the shots. This year, LaNorris Sellers is set to take over a new-look offense and the defense is returning some of its strong stars like Debo Williams.
South Carolina might take some time to find its groove — as will the Aggies — but by time both squads match up against each other, many of the inconsistencies will likely have been ironed out.
That being said, the Aggies will have to post a strong performance on both ends of the floor if they want to leave Columbia victorious, and the Gamecocks will have to hold their own.
Here’s how they can each do that:
It can neutralize the crowd. Entering any hostile environment in the SEC is a tough task, regardless of history and past season’s performance. South Carolina, sporting multiple new weapons, will be bringing a stronger version of itself than it would have all season because of more experience and time spent playing together. If the Aggies want to pull off a win, they’ll have to stop the Gamecocks from gaining yards and find the end zone themselves in order to take away any momentum gained from a cheering crowd.
It deflates the Aggies’ rhythm. Texas A&M, barring any injuries, is set to have a full season with talented quarterback Conner Weigman. That, combined with the culture shift that’s come from a new coach, is likely to make next season’s Aggie squad much different from one season ago. If the Gamecocks allow themselves to fall behind on offense and don’t generate stops, they could be in for a long night, but if they can stop the Aggies from getting comfortable, they’ll be the ones with the upper hand.
A tropical storm is likely to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast
The tropical rainstorm causing flooding in Puerto Rico right now is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm before hitting Florida.
A developing tropical storm currently passing over Cuba may impact parts of South Carolina and North Carolina by the middle of next week. The storm could bring heavy precipitation, rough surf and other impacts to these regions.
At 11 a.m. Friday, the National Hurricane Center issued its first advisory for “potential tropical cyclone four.” In the update, the tropical depression was shown over Cuba, with the long-term path of the storm moving into the Gulf of Mexico before swinging back over Florida and into the Atlantic.
The cone of uncertainty, which shows the storm’s probable path, includes much of SC. However, many variables remain, including the strength of the still-developing storm and its exact eventual path.
If the system strengthens into a tropical storm as currently predicted, its name would be Debby, the fourth named storm of the season.
More: What is heat index? Friday’s could be 105. How humidity, dew point can affect our bodies
What are the chances for development?
As of late Friday morning the depression was about 420 miles southeast of Key West.
“A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect for the southwest coast of the Florida peninsula from East Cape Sable to Bonita Beach,” stated the hurricane center’s 11 a.m. advisory. “A Tropical Storm Watch is now in effect for the Florida Keys south of the Card Sound Bridge including the Dry Tortugas, the southern coast of the Florida peninsula east of East Cape Sable to the Card Sound bridge, and for the west coast of the Florida peninsula north of Bonita Beach to Aripeka.”
According to the hurricane center, the depression could grow into a tropical storm by late Saturday as it passed over the Florida Keys.
More: When is first day of fall? SC’s weather forecast by Old Farmer’s Almanac; is it accurate?
What can we expect in the Greenville area?
Weather for the upcoming week is highly dependent on the development of the tropical storm. How quickly the steering winds push the storm north-northeast up toward Florida’s panhandle and back over land will determine the severity of associated weather.
The hurricane center’s update currently has the system passing over northern Florida late Sunday and reentering the Atlantic on Monday morning. Then, predictions show the storm hugging the coast as it moves up the Eastern Seaboard toward the Carolinas. Again, many variables can impact where the system will move.
Currently, NOAA forecasts for the weekend are showing high temperatures in the 90s with overnight showers and thunderstorms predicted. No high winds are forecasted so far.
More: Heat wave continues, cooling stations open in Spartanburg County. What about Greenville?
Where is Potential Tropical Cyclone Four?
Track it: South Carolina Storm Tracker and Model Mixer
Conditions around noon Aug. 2
- Location: 90 miles east-southeast of Camaguey, Cuba; 420 miles southeast of Key West
- Maximum sustained winds: 30 mph
- Movement: west-northwest at 16 mph
More: Heat advisory in effect for Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson, precautions to stay cool
Are you prepared for a hurricane?
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Even if this system won’t pose a threat to the S.C. coast, it’s never too early to be prepared.
Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida, contributed to this report.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
SOUTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — It’s the most wonderful time of the year – for back-to-school shopping as South Carolina’s annual tax-free weekend begins on Friday, Aug. 2.
During this year’s tax-free weekend, also known as the sales tax holiday, a variety of purchases are exempt from the state’s 6% sales tax and any applicable local taxes.
Tax-free items range from clothing, accessories, and shoes to school supplies, backpacks, and computers. As long as an item is eligible, it is tax-free whether purchased in-store or online.
During last year’s tax-free weekend holiday, shoppers purchased more than $30.4 million in tax-free items, according to the South Carolina Department of Revenue.
BACK TO SCHOOL: Latest back-to-school updates and stories across the Carolinas
The exemption does not apply to: items for use in a trade or business; items placed on layaway or a similar deferred payment and delivery plan; clothing and footwear rentals; cosmetics; eyewear; furniture; and jewelry.
South Carolina’s tax-free weekend is a 72-hour event held each August. It begins at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in August and goes through the following Sunday.
For more information on exempt and nonexempt items, please click here.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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