Students embarrass Washington university with offensive costumes

Students at Whitworth University learned an important lesson after posting a photo on Instagram.

The five students took a photo of themselves dressed as the Jackson 5. Their costumes included blackface.

The photo quickly spread, including to university President Beck A. Taylor’s Facebook page, where people asked school administration to respond. KXLY reports that Whitworth Association Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dr. Lawrence Burnley did respond, saying the incident proves there is an ignorance of the county’s history.

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It’s an embarrassing moment for the Spokane institution, KIRO Radio’s Tom Tangney said.

“To think they have students there that don’t know the history of blackface…”

The incident proves that school’s need to do a better job of teaching history, John Curley pitched in. He would be surprised if the students know when President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address, or know the three branches of government.

The women, also players on the school’s soccer team, were dressed up for an informal event at a local bowling alley, according to a statement from Burnley. Their punishment: a one-game suspension.

“The student who posted the photo has since removed it and expressed remorse for the insensitivity of the decision to dress in this manner,” Burnley’s statement reads. “The administration is taking further steps to examine the developments around the students’ decision to engage in this insensitive act. It is critical that the student body and Whitworth community learn from this behavior and consider not only the real or perceived intent of such actions, but also the detrimental impact they have on members of our community, regardless of intent.”

Should the students be punished at all for doing something they didn’t realize was offensive? Curley asked.