Not O-KKK: School under fire for play featuring Klansmen

The Sioux Falls School District in South Dakota has apologized after high school students appeared dressed in Ku Klux Klan costumes during a play, saying proper performance vetting guidelines weren’t followed.

The Roosevelt High School’s performance of The Foreigner sparked outrage this weekend after student actors performed in KKK costumes. Images were soon shared on social media, igniting disgust and debate across Twitter.

Sioux Falls School District addressed the furore after concerns were raised by a local organization, Establishing Sustainable Connections, the Argus Leader reports.

“The district has guidelines in place for vetting plays and other such works and the district failed to follow those guidelines,” school district spokeswoman DeeAnn Konrad said.

“We sincerely regret this and will continue to take action in our quest to be a culturally responsive school community.”

The Foreigner is about an out-of-towner who pretends he doesn’t speak English when staying in a lodge in rural Georgia. He overhears a property inspector threatening violence from the KKK, and in the end defeats the white supremacists trying to steal property.

The play has sparked controversy in the past. In December, the ASU Preparatory Academy Phoenix in Arizona came under fire for its performance of the play, although parents said they weren’t warned about the controversial costumes beforehand.

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