The Waianae High Yearbook

[Kalalau]

Just curious, there's a report on the KHON page about a racially offensive word snuck into a class photo but of course the word itself is missing. Any idea what it was? Curious minds want to know...

[pzarquon]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

Letters sent home regarding racially offensive photo in Waianae High yearbook

In a photo of the senior class on the football field, a group of students are seen holding letters that spell out a racial slur commonly referred to as the "N word."

[Kalalau]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

Thats unfortunate. Sorry to hear that. If you are going to do a prank why not have something funny or creative. The N word is pathetic.

[Amati]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

Thats unfortunate. Sorry to hear that. If you are going to do a prank why not have something funny or creative. The N word is pathetic.

Yes Kalalau, pathetic is a good description. Those students' racial hatrid is not to be confused with their having tried a "prank" to express "something funny or creative". Those students were being bigoted and hate filled, and deserve an appropriate punishment. I heard on a news report that one of the offending students said they hoped they could still walk the graduation line with their classmates. That would be a good punishment ... no participation in the graduation ceremony.

[Kalalau]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

If they learn from their mistake this sad incident might have been worth it.

[DannyWilliams]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

hmmmm me thinks that the individuals featured in the pic and thee person(s) that allowed to have that picture published should be penalized.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

That would be a good punishment ... no participation in the graduation ceremony.

Not just the ceremony - no graduation at all for those students yet. Maybe an extra semester of "school" (a/k/a community service) before they get a diploma. Gotta find a way to turn it into a lesson.

[Kalalau]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

I am thinking that we need to show them that yes indeed our First Amendment does even allow stupid and hateful and cruel speech but at the same time there are consequences and we all must accept the consequences of our acts, so maybe it would be reasonable if they had to personally pay the cost, the consequence, of recalling and perhaps reprinting the yearbooks. Just a thought.

[Amati]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

I am thinking that we need to show them that yes indeed our First Amendment does even allow stupid and hateful and cruel speech but at the same time there are consequences and we all must accept the consequences of our acts, so maybe it would be reasonable if they had to personally pay the cost, the consequence, of recalling and perhaps reprinting the yearbooks. Just a thought.

But probably their parents would get stuck with the cost, or the students would use their graduation "money gifts", so the students would not be feeling the punishment. So, the punishment needs to be something that the students, and only the students, can fulfill. Not walking the grad line, community service, chasing peacocks away from Makaha towers (ha)..... etc.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

I am thinking that we need to show them that yes indeed our First Amendment does even allow stupid and hateful and cruel speech but at the same time there are consequences and we all must accept the consequences of our acts,

Very good way of phrasing it - thanks for that thought.

[Kalalau]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

Thank you for your kind words. I have always appreciated your well reasoned and polite postings.

[buzz1941]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

The irony, of course, is that these students, if on the Mainland, would be thought of as "colored."

[Frankie's Market]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

Not just the ceremony - no graduation at all for those students yet. Maybe an extra semester of "school" (a/k/a community service) before they get a diploma. Gotta find a way to turn it into a lesson.

As repugnant as the students' prank was to sneak a racial epithet into the WHS senior class picture, it wouldn't be legal to deny any of the involved students their diploma if they, in fact, earned the necessary credits and fulfilled all other DOE requirements for graduation. Schools cannot suddenly add/change requirements as a punitive measure. Withholding diplomas that have already been earned is simply not an option to address the behavior.

Denying them the privilege to participate in school sponsored extracurricular activities is really the only avenue for punishment. If the school has already held its senior prom, then it's obviously too late to ban the students from that event. But Project Graduation and the graduation ceremony itself are a different story.

The appropriate punishment for all those students: No participation in any Project Graduation activity. No participation in the graduation ceremony. They simply get their diplomas mailed to them.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

Will this incident be on their permanent record for having a lack of common sense?

[Amati]

Re: The Waianae High Yearbook

Waianae HS had its grad ceremony on Friday - anyone know if the offending students were allowed to participate?