'No dumb dancers:' Parents upset over letter sent to Hillside High students
Officials at Hillside High School in Durham are apologizing after a letter told students that "dumb dancers" would not be allowed to join a team that performs with the school band.
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The letter, which was posted by a parent on Facebook, explains the costs and rules of participation for the dance team. A section explaining that students must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA to participate, but are encouraged to make the honor roll, features the phrase “no dumb dancers” written in bold letters.
Parent Lakychia Barnes Myers said her child has been a dancer with the band for two years but opted to quit when she received the notice.
"The comment “No dumb dancers” should never be mentioned when referring to kids in any instructional setting and this is what the young girls at Hillside received, including my daughter," she said in a Facebook post.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Hillside High School said that the letter was sent out by an adult volunteer with the Hillside band and the band director was “generally aware” of the content.
School officials said the band director has apologized for the tone of the letter during a recent band meeting.
“While Hillside High prides itself on high academic standards for students in extracurricular organizations, communicating to students with respect is also a core Hillside value,” a school spokesperson said in a statement.
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