Eight cadets at The Citadel military college in South Carolina were suspended Thursday after photos of them wearing white clothes and white pillowcases on their heads that resembled Ku Klux Klan hoods circulated online, the school's president announced on Facebook.
Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa, president of The Citadel, said on Facebook that "suspension proceedings" began for the involved cadets the moment photos depicting the incident were brought to his attention.
The photo in question shows a man, reportedly an "upper class cadet," standing in front of seven other cadets who were donned completely in white, including pillowcases with eyeholes cut out of them that resembled pointed hoods, making the entire getup look eerily similar to the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group that once terrorized blacks in the south.
Preliminary findings indicate that the students were reportedly singing holiday songs dressed as the "Ghosts of Christmas Past," an apparent reference to "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, according to The Washington Post.
This explanation did not sit well the Citadel Minority Alumni Association, which shared the photo on social media with the message: "Why would anyone think that this is ok? Will the administration at The Citadel let this go? This picture is a disgrace and a slap in the face. Who are the cadets in this picture and who is their cadet leadership? We're watching to see how this all plays out..."
Rosa found the explanation wanting as well, describing it as "offensive and disturbing," and said: "These images are not consistent with our core values of honor, duty and respect," according to the Huffington Post.
CMMA chairman Lamont A. Melvin later issued a full statement saying that this incident wasn't an mistake that should be swept under the rug, but was "pleased" that Rosa and his team took swift action nonetheless.
"We are pleased that Lt. General Rosa and his staff have taken swift action to address the situation and look forward to the results of his investigation; however, much more needs to be done to address the culture that continues to house recurring prejudices against minority cadets. At the very least, there needs to be a zero tolerance policy established immediately for racially charged and racially-motivated rhetoric and activity. Furthermore, increased funding should be committed to cultural competence and diversity training for the entire Corps of Cadets and staff on a regular basis."
He continued, "This is not the first, second or third time that racially charged events have been documented to have occurred at The Citadel. It is easy to try to isolate events of this sort to a single item or incident, which would, on its face, be a disservice to minority cadets who have and are currently attending The Citadel. This issue is much bigger. It's a cultural issue and it must be addressed and it must end now. When racist acts occur on campus, ALL students, black and white should feel the same degree of outrage that we do....These reprehensible behaviors are not indicative of actions in which principled leaders engage. Again, the activities that led to this social media posting were not a mistake and should be dealt with severely because symbols matter."
As the investigation goes forward the school is looking to determine whether more people were involved in the incident and will decline to comment on the matter until the probe is complete, reported Reuters. The suspended students may be expelled based on the investigation's findings.
