The “Megans” are at it again. Right after Megyn Kelly’s ill-fated blackface comment, another Megan decided blackface was okay to wear to her local Halloween party.
Megan Luloff faced incredible backlash after she deemed it appropriate to dress like a Black female character from the movie- “Napoleon Dynamite.”
Several photos of Luloff wearing the ignorant costume were shared throughout various social media outlets sparking outrage among Black people.
In an absurdly jocose twist of fate, the school district she works for is under an active investigation because of the incredulous amount of minority students who were recommended for special education and were the brunt of disciplinary actions. The school is now under state supervision after the school board suggested that “they’re just treated differently in several areas.”
Betty Andrews, the president of the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP, called the reports of blackface “disturbing” in an interview with the New York Post.
“I had to check my calendar and my location to know that this happened in 2018. It was equally disturbing that this is a teacher who is supposed to provide a safe and equitable environment for all students,” Andrews said.
She also recommends Luloff be terminated.
“I think she should be dismissed. Being a teacher, this is a serious lapse in judgment and her presence in a classroom could be detrimental to any student she teaches, particularly African-American students,” Andrews said.
“I would definitely not want her teaching my children,” she continued. “This makes me wonder what’s in the water, so to speak. What are we teaching in Davenport for this woman to think that this would be OK”
Vice-President for the State Department of Education Board, Linda Hayes, weighed in as well stating: “I cannot clearly articulate how offensive and appalling it is to people of color. All I can say is it’s very sad, and totally unacceptable.”
Hayes may have “meant well” by opting to say “people of color” but let’s be clear-it’s offensive and appalling to BLACK people. Saying anything other than Black people is an erasure of the systemic and problematic effects Blacks have endured since being brought to this country through chattel slavery.
She also added, “We are working very hard with professionals from across the country and within the state to assist with the problem of disproportionality, and one of our own is fueling the fire with blatant racism.”
Art Tate, the elementary school’s superintendent, wrote in an email, “The wearing of blackface is never appropriate in any circumstance by any person.”
The school board issued the following statement:
“The district was very recently made aware of these images of a district employee at a non-school-related event, and an internal investigation is currently ongoing. The board does not condone the insensitivity these images depict and is very disappointed something like this is now connected to our school community.”
