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By Dennis Romero
Police in Utah were investigating a racist photo that includes two high school students wearing partial blackface, an adult behind them in a Klu Klux Klan-style hood, and a Confederate flag as a backdrop.
Racist language accompanied the image, which was shared on social media.
In a statement posted on Facebook Friday the police department in Hurricane, Utah said, ” The incident is being investigated at this time.”
However, the department noted, “We are also aware of individuals right to free speech.”
The students attend Hurricane High School. Steven Dunham, spokesman for the local Washington County School District, said in a statement that administrators were made aware of the photo Thursday night.
“Appropriate discipline for the students involved began immediately,” he said.
The students and the adult have not been identified, and the extent of the discipline was not revealed.
The district informed federal law enforcement about the image, and it has consulted with legal counsel, according to the statement.
“No level of discipline can repair the hate, bigotry and ugliness portrayed in that one picture,” Dunham said. “The vulgar ignorance and idiocy on display are beyond repair by any small discipline we can provide.”