School criticised for ‘slap on the wrist’ punishment after students wore T-shirts with anti-gay slur

A school district in California has been criticised for announcing a “slap on the wrist” punishment for students who used T-shirts to spell out a vile, anti-gay slur.

Students at Redwood High School in California’s Central Valley have been condemned by fellow pupils, wider members of the local community and LGBTQ+ groups after they took a photograph of themselves wearing T-shirts featuring letters and numbers which spelled out the word “F******”.

Various media reports suggest the homophobic display was carried out by members of the school’s Associated Student Body (ASB) following a senior class photo shoot, where some pupils were dressed in T-shirts that spelled out ‘Class of 2026 Always Legit’.

A group of around 10 pupils rearranged the letters from the phrase, and used some numbers as substitutes for letters, to spell out the derogatory slur.

It has also been reported the slur was created in response to two eight-grade boys, who were holding hands. However, others have refuted the claim and said the matter was unrelated.

The group’s behaviour was quickly denounced as “unacceptable” by school officials, with executive director of student services Natali Garza stating: “We want the whole community to know that this is not representative of our values or the values of any of our school campuses. We also want families to know that there will be consequences for this very serious behaviour.”

On Wednesday (18 February), Visalia Unified School District publicly shared a letter to parents from the superintendent, Kirk Shrum, in which he condemned the “unacceptable behaviour” that “does not reflect who we are or the values we strive to uphold”.

“While specific details cannot be made public, please know that as we continue our investigation, we are taking appropriate action in accordance with district board policy and applicable law,” Shrum wrote.

“Our commitment is to a fair, comprehensive investigation grounded in facts. We will apply our board policy and the law to the evidence, and we will address this matter appropriately with the goal of accountability, fostering growth and restoration.”

Shrum said the school has been “presented with an opportunity for us to come together and model the kind of respectful discourse that leads to healing and understanding, adding administrators are meeting with students to “address hate speech, civility, and the responsibility that comes with being a member of our Visalia schools and community”.

He continued: “This week, student leaders are being provided opportunities to engage in healthy and productive dialogue with their peers and staff about belonging and respect.

“As a district, we will convene a roundtable with community leaders who support students in modeling civility and engaging in positive discourse. Together, we will meet this moment with steadfast resolve to restore and strengthen our community.

“While we may hold differing views, we can all agree that every individual deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.”

Shrum added the school district is committed to “providing a safe learning environment where you feel valued, respected, and able to focus fully on your education” and stated the actions of some pupils “do not define our entire student body, our staff, or our school community.”

“We know VUSD students are caring, thoughtful individuals who strive to make our community and world a better place,” Shrum concluded.

“Hate speech will not be tolerated in VUSD. We will enforce this expectation, and we will lead, model, and teach constructive and restorative dialogue rooted in belonging and shared humanity.”

The school’s approach was quickly criticised for being a seemingly flimsy response to anti-gay hate.

“Oh, yeah! A round table, that’ll show ‘em,” one Facebook user commented under a copy of the letter.

“Sounds like a slap on the wrist to me…,” a second wrote.

“So nothing was done. Got it,” a third said, whilst another called the statement a “nothing burger”.