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.
Top astronomy events for June 2026
From a trio of planets lining up with a crescent moon to a solstice bringing the beginning of summer, here are the top astronomy events to mark down in June.
It may have felt like summer in South Carolina these past few weeks, but it is just now the first official day of summer.
Days have become longer, and temperatures have pushed toward 100 on some days ahead of the first day of summer. Now the longest day of the year is here, and the hottest months in the South are ahead of us.
On June 21, Greenville and Upstate South Carolina will experience more than 14 hours of daylight, according to Time and Date. From there, days will start being shorter once again.
Here’s how much daylight Upstate South Carolina is expected to see for the summer solstice.
When is the first day of summer 2025?
Well, there are technically two answers.
The first official day of summer astronomically for 2026 is Sunday, June 21, which is when the Northern Hemisphere has the longest day of the year, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
But when we talk meteorologically, summer starts on June 1. The reason for this is that meteorologists divide the year into four seasons based on the months and the temperature cycle. Doing it this way also allows them to compare and organize climate data more easily. In this system, summer begins on June 1 and ends on August 31.
What is the summer solstice?
The summer solstice marks the astronomical first day of the summer season in June in the Northern Hemisphere.
This is also when the Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt toward the sun, according to the Almanac. This makes it the longest day with the longest period of sunlight hours and the shortest night of the calendar year.
It will begin at 8:25 UTC or 4:25 a.m. ET on June 21, according to EarthSky.org.
When is the longest day of the year?
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year. On June 21, it will be the day with the longest period of sunlight, with some areas in the Northern Hemisphere getting upwards of 15 hours of sunlight on that day, according to EarthSky.org.
In South Carolina, communities will see around 14 hours and 28 minutes of daylight on the longest day of the year, according to timeanddate.com, which tracks when sunrise and sunset occur in communities across the United States.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 20, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 20 drawing
16-20-44-48-50, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from June 20 drawing
Midday: 3-8-7, FB: 6
Evening: 3-8-5, FB: 6
Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from June 20 drawing
Midday: 5-6-4-2, FB: 6
Evening: 3-5-4-4, FB: 6
Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 20 drawing
Midday: 06
Evening: 14
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from June 20 drawing
02-13-16-19-21
Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from June 20 drawing
11-12-25-42-57, Powerball: 20
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:
For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.
Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.
SC Education Lottery
P.O. Box 11039
Columbia, SC 29211-1039
For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.
Columbia Claims Center
1303 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.
For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.
When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.
South-Carolina
With 77 days until South Carolina football kicks off 2026 season, a look back at No. 77 George Schecterly
South Carolina football will take the field for the first time in 2026 on September 5 against Kent State. Williams-Brice Stadium will play host to the Gamecocks and Golden Flashes at 12:45 p.m., just 77 days from today.
The No. 77 is often worn by offensive linemen. One of two tough-nosed offensive tackles in a fun Gamecock era wore the number, as George Schechterly played for the Gamecocks from 1978 to 1980.
Questions about this story? Kevin Miller is discussing it with subscribers on The Insiders Forum.
Schechterly actually began his career at Penn State, playing for legendary coach Joe Paterno. However, as a redshirt, he didn’t meet the conditioning requirements to stay with the Nittany Lions. South Carolina gave him a second chance, and the offensive lineman dedicated himself to getting better. It paid off in a big way.
Despite being a little undersized, Schechterly earned a starting job at right tackle for the Gamecocks. He played opposite left tackle Chuck Slaughter, and the duo excelled at sealing off defensive ends with reach blocks.
That proved to be a big deal for South Carolina, as a running back named George Rogers made defenses pay on toss sweep plays. Of course, Rogers wound up winning the 1980 Heisman Trophy, and Schechterly and Slaughter provided a lot of assistance. The toss sweep play worked so well that the fanbase often joked that the best ideas in the team’s playbook were “George Sweep Right” and “George Sweep Left.”
See other jersey countdown stories like this on GamecockCentral.com.
That same 1980 season, Schechterly was an All-Independent selection at tackle and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top overall blocker among Independent School blockers. He was USC’s only tackle ever to earn the honor, though several interior blockers did.
Following his graduation, Schechterly played briefly in the NFL, CFL, and USFL.
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