San Marcos High School takes action after students share blackface social media post
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — San Marcos High School says it has taken disciplinary action against four students after they shared a social media post portraying them with artificially darkened skin.
The post, which was reported through the Santa Barbara Unified School District’s Safe to Speak Up system about two weeks ago, showed the four female students posing for what the school described as a group-chat meme.
San Marcos Principal Dare Holdren addressed the incident in a letter to the school community.
“Regardless of intent, students need to understand the impact their words, images, and actions can have on others,” Holdren wrote.
The students’ families were contacted, according to the principal, and the school says it has “instituted consequences” and is working to educate the students about the impact of their actions.
The school has not disclosed what those consequences are.
The incident comes as Santa Barbara Unified faces broader concerns from students about anti-Black harassment on district campuses.
In June, Black students spoke at a Santa Barbara Unified School Board meeting about what they described as racial slurs, monkey noises and other harassment they had experienced at school.
Students called on the district to take stronger disciplinary action, fully investigate reported incidents and provide additional education and training focused on racism.
District Superintendent Hilda Maldonado also addressed the issue in a message to district families.
“For too long, students have not always experienced the same expectations, treatment, or consequences based on race,” Maldonado wrote. “We need to examine our practices and our data and be willing to change when they show that we are falling short.”
A source told KEYT that at least two of the students pictured in the social media post are enrolled in African American Studies. The source also said the photo was taken in the classroom where that course is taught.
KEYT has not independently confirmed those details.
The identities of the students have not been disclosed.
Santa Barbara Unified has not publicly identified the students involved or released details about the disciplinary consequences.
The district says it is continuing to address concerns about racism and harassment on its campuses
