Anger boiled over at Pittsburg High School Monday as students demanded more action be taken against a classmate who wore a KKK outfit to school last week.
The school has not revealed the exact punishment, but fellow students say they've learned the boy was suspended for three days and those who marched in protest Monday say he needs to be expelled and publicly apologize.
“I think he should be expelled,” said student Jordan. “He shouldn’t be allowed to come back to school because the outrage behind his costume is very racist. It’s highly disrespectful to all students, people of color, point blank period.”
At lunch, students demonstrated both outside and inside the school, blasting the district for not taking the incident more seriously.
In a letter to the community last week, the Pittsburg High principal said the student wore the KKK costume “on a dare” and didn’t get caught for four periods because he only wore it briefly between classes.
The letter goes on to say the suspended student and those that showed up with him on social media posts have been given unspecified consequences and will have to attend a restorative justice program.
Many fellow students are not satisfied.
“We need more justice and he did not -- he needs more consequences,” said student Kaliyah, adding she thinks the protest helped.
“I just can’t believe someone would actually wear that to school and think that’s OK,” said student August. “And it’s just the fact a few black kids would actually take pictures with him that’s really unacceptable right there.”
Parents and family members who were picking up their children Monday said they feel the same way.
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“People accept this kind of thing and say it was a joke,” said grandparent Howard Farmer. “There’s no way you can joke like that. It’s like pointing a loaded gun in someone’s face.”
Some students said they heard the student who wore the KKK costume and was suspended for three days has now been told to stay away for five days.
NBC Bay Area reached out to the district to try to confirm that and to get an update on the overall situation but has not heard back.
