South Carolina school employees fired or placed on leave after 'inappropriate' Facebook post

FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — An unknown number of employees at a South Carolina elementary school have been let go or placed on leave after an “inappropriate” picture taken during a Hispanic heritage celebration was posted to the school's Facebook, the district announced Friday.

The photo was one of a few posted to Royall Elementary's Facebook page on Wednesday which showed apparent staff members wearing sombreros and other Hispanic attire. One photo showed two adults wearing gray t-shirts that read “U.S. Border Patrol.”

That picture quickly sparked outrage among several groups, including the Florence County Democratic Party and Racial Justice Network.

"There was no regard for the students and how some would feel and what message they were sending to others. We would like to know what the motives behind this were, and did the school hope to gain from this," Racial Justice Network founder James Johnson III said in a statement.

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Thursday morning, the school acknowledged the “insensitive” picture and removed it from its Facebook page, while also issuing an apology.

“It is with regret that we acknowledge that a picture that was posted on our Facebook page yesterday showed an insensitive disregard for the current challenges our Hispanic population faces,” the post said. “At Royall, we take great pride in our long-standing tradition of embracing and supporting every student who walks through the doors of our building. Our staff is unanimously committed to celebrating the diversity of our families and ensuring that each and every student at Royall is successful, happy, and recognized for his or her unique culture and abilities. We apologize for our insensitivity but look forward to fostering relationships as we begin a new school year.”

Later that day, Florence 1 Schools said it had taken action against those involved in the "inappropriate social media post," which was taken "during a Professional Development day" at the school.

On Friday, Florence 1 Schools Superintendent Richard O'Malley said "several employees are no longer employed by the district or have been placed on leave by the district's administration."

A district spokeswoman told Nexstar's WBTW she was unable to provide specifics on the number of people disciplined or their employment status, citing confidential personnel matters.

"As superintendent, I will not tolerate anything of this nature in our school district," O'Malley continued in a letter sent to Royall Elementary families, seen below.

O'Malley said Michelle Wynn, the district's assistant superintendent of elementary education, and Christopher Rogers, its STEM director, will serve as "acting administrators."

Royall Elementary's longtime principal Julie Smith's biography remained on the school's website as of Sunday morning.

"I want to assure the Royall Community that the school will continue to provide an exceptional education for all students, with the high expectations and excellence in student achievement that have always been provided by our staff at Royall," O'Malley added.

Additional details were not immediately available.

About 3% of Florence County's population is Hispanic or Latino, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.