School responds to TN student in KKK outfit on video

The principal of a Christian academy in Tennessee said he was taking disciplinary action against all students involved in a video showing a student wearing a white balaclava and using a racial slur.

“Immediately upon being made aware of a hugely inappropriate and deeply disappointing video yesterday afternoon that violates everything we value, the administration of Grace Christian Academy took prompt action to meet with all students involved,” Tony Pointer, principal of Grace Christian Academy in Knoxville, Tennessee, wrote in a May 5 Facebook post.

“Strong disciplinary action has been taken as GCA does not condone this behavior or any form of racism. We will continue to seek the truth and adopt proper discipline. »

The video shows a person wearing a white balaclava, commonly associated with the Ku Klux Klan, sitting on a folding chair with the word “Grace” written on it. The person is also holding a wooden pole and a white bottle similar to a bottle of floor cleaner.

The person can be heard shouting, “Who do we hate? then using a racial slur. People can be heard screaming and laughing offscreen.

Pointer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on Monday.

Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson tweeted a link to news from WBIR about the May 5 incident and called it “dethroning.”

“The fact that they were so bold and not even a little embarrassed about it is just shocking,” she wrote. “The fact that they feel comfortable sharing it means they thought everyone would think it was funny too. Who taught them that?

Grace Christian Academy is an alliance school that serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade, according to its website.