Recently, a high school student in Utah was accused of racism after wearing a pillowcase over his head during a spirit assembly at Alta High School. The pillowcase looked similar to KKK hood, and when student Larz Cosby (who is described as "multi-ethnic") demanded that it be removed, the hooded teen taunted the concerned Cosby and yelled "white power." Cosby then removed the boys hood and threw it to the ground. He later blogged about the incident, and reported it to authorities at the school.
The school district was forced to respond to racism in its schools after the allegations surfaced. A pattern emerged that indicated a pervasive problem with racism at the school, and numerous "serious" racist incidents were uncovered. The principal and vice principal of the school have been suspended with pay while the problems are being investigated.
Prompted by a March 18 incident where a student wore a white pointed hood to a school spirit bowl that some felt resembled the infamous Ku Klux Klan symbol, the Canyons School District has uncovered evidence of other "serious incidents" that have occurred at the school over the past year, according to district spokeswoman Jennifer Toomer-Cook.
"Canyons School District condemns and prohibits all forms of racism and discrimination," she said. "We are taking appropriate administrative action."
The district has placed Mont Widerberg and Mark Montague, principal and vice principal of Alta High, respectively, on paid leave while the investigation of the incidents continues, a school employee said.
The district's office of civil rights is looking into the hood incident, and based on the evidence it finds will come up with a course of action that could potentially include discipline for the student who allegedly donned the hood.
"It was completely recognizable," said Taylor Risk, a student at the school....
















