Photo: Getty Images
Officials are investigating a racist poster linking LeBron James to monkeys that was put on display at a school art exhibition in New York.
According to TMZ, the racist poster was displayed in a school gymnasium at the New Hartford Festival of the Arts event on Saturday (May 4).
The project appeared to depict a cereal advertisement called "Monkey Premium." The phrase "Eat Monkeys, Jump Like Monkeys!" headlined the poster alongside a photo of James and a bowl of cereal.
A text description of the cereal, which was shaped like monkeys and bananas, said consumers would be able to "jump 2-5 inches higher for about 2 hours" after eating it.
Superintendent of Schools Cosimo Tangorra Jr. confirmed that the project was submitted by a New Hartford Central School District student. The student has been identified and contacted by officials but will not be named publicly due to privacy reasons, Tangorra Jr. said. The superintendent also declined to disclose details about the student's punishment.
"It is disheartening that racist work was not only created," Tangorra Jr. said in a statement on Monday (May 6), "but then overlooked and allowed to be displayed."
"We understand that there are students, families, staff, and community members who may not feel safe, accepted, or welcome as a result of what transpired," he continued. "Our school community deserves access to a supportive learning environment where everyone feels respected, included and safe."
"We have fallen short of that goal, and we must do better," the superintendent added. "As a district, we will continue working to ensure all students and their families feel valued, and it requires increased education, dialogue, and action from the entire school community."
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