A white New York school security guard is kicking off the year with a suspension after involving a Black student in a racist joke on the first day of school, reports Syracuse.com.
Brandiss Pearson says she, her husband and her father were accompanying her 12-year-old son Brandon Pearson on his first day at Huntington K-8 School in Eastwood, a suburb of Syracuse. The student, who has Down syndrome, was said to be excited for a new year, but the moment was quickly soiled by an offensive joke.
Pearson claims the family stopped in front of a hallway mural to take pictures when the security guard interrupted, saying “Wait, wait, wait, hold on.” He proceeded to turn Brandon toward the wall and lifted the student’s hands above his head, in a position to be frisked.
“And he starts laughing and says, ‘Now take the picture, he’s in the right position,’” Pearson recalled. “[...] I was shaking, just like fire-breathing mad. All he saw was a little black boy who needed to assume the position.”
Pearson said Brandon didn’t understand the joke, but she and her family were left stunned. They took the boy to his classroom and reported the incident to the school principal later that afternoon.
The unidentified guard, who called the incident “a funny joke,” has been suspended as school administrators looks into the situation.
Photo courtesy of Syracuse.com
Michael Henesey, coordinator of communications for the school district, said in a statement: “We are in receipt of the complaint filed against one of our school sentries. The school district has begun an internal investigation into the alleged complaint. The school sentry in question has been placed on administrative leave while the district conducts the investigation. We will not be releasing any more information at this time.”