Black History Month controversy rocks schools. How did Lexington 1 get here?

A Lexington 1 school board member’s Facebook comments calling a high school Black History Month fashion show “vulgar” and “ghetto” sparked student protests, a lawsuit and a petition demanding her removal. The controversy at River Bluff High School has divided the Midlands community for months.

Here are key takeaways:

• Board member Katie McCown called the student-organized fashion show a “disgraceful display that was both disgusting and disrespectful” in posts on her campaign Facebook page, criticizing students’ clothing and money being tossed on stage.
• The show was organized by students to celebrate African-American culture and had been approved by school administration, with mother Natalie McCausland saying students were initially praised by administrators before the social media post degraded their work.
• River Bluff senior Eric Lee, who organized the show and was featured prominently in McCown’s photos, told a March 19 board meeting he was used to criticism as a gay Black teen, but that the comments coming from a grown woman hurt deeply.
• McCown apologized at the March 19 meeting, reading from a prepared statement that her words could have been “more measured and thoughtful,” though students called the apology “performative” given it came nearly three weeks after her original posts.
• Mother Fynale Barnwell filed a lawsuit against the Lexington 1 school district on May 15, alleging McCown published student images without consent and that the district failed to supervise the board member or enforce student privacy policies.
• Board members said only the governor can remove an elected school board member, and only when evidence of criminal conduct arises, leaving limited options for district action against McCown.
• Records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show River Bluff Principal Jacob Smith told colleagues the annual show was held during lunch, students were not required to attend, and that Black students on campus are underrepresented and seek opportunities to celebrate their culture.
• McCown and her family reported receiving threats following the posts, with police reports filed with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, while a Change.org petition calling for her removal gathered more than 700 signatures.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.