A student dressed up as a KKK member for class presentation — and the teacher got suspended

A Missouri ninth-grader dressed up as a member of the Ku Klux Klan for a history class presentation last Friday, and his teacher was suspended indefinitely for allowing the presentation to go forward, according to The Associated Press.

The teacher, who has not been named, was apparently unaware that the student planned to dress up as a KKK member for the presentation, but he decided to let the presentation continue even after seeing what was planned.

"Obviously, this was a poor choice, a terrible choice for the teacher to allow this to happen," Poplar Bluff district superintendent Scott Dill said. "There is no place for this in our public school or any place in society."

Here's the context: A group of students was set to perform a skit about the 15th Amendment, which granted black men the right to vote. The student who dressed up as a KKK member was playing the villain who was attempting to suppress the black vote.

According to Dill, the teacher made a "split-second decision" to let the presentation go on, despite the potential offense that could be caused by the costume. Poplar Bluff school district is 81 percent white and 12 percent black.

The teacher apologized: The teacher sent a letter of apology, which Dill read to his class.

"Because of my lapse in judgment, many of you were hurt and felt uncomfortable," the letter read. "I never wanted that to happen. I think of my classes as my family, and I would never intentionally offend or hurt any of you."

Sensitivity training on the way: Dill said the school is trying to use the incident as a learning experience, to "talk about the powerful context of some symbols." The district may implement sensitivity and diversity training in the near future as a result.

(H/T The Daily Caller)