Katie McCown is a member of the Lexington One Board of Education in Lexington, South Carolina. She has publicly criticized local River Bluff High School’s fashion show in celebration of Black History Month, spouting racist opinions on her professional platform and posting photos of the students without their consent in a way that is discriminatory, vile, and unacceptable. 

While McCown is entitled to her own opinions under her First Amendment rights, she has not respected our students’ right to free speech and expression, and her words are NOT representative of River Bluff High School. McCown’s platform has been used to openly call the Black History Month fashion show “ghetto”, “vulgar”, “disgusting”, and a “disgusting display of their history”. THEIR history, not hers! 

McCown claimed on Facebook that the fashion show students should have “dressed as their actual heritage did/does and perhaps educated people on where African people come from.” As a White woman, she cannot claim to know what “actual” Black heritage is. The fashion show was student-led by Black students who certainly know their own culture better than she does. 

She has made River Bluff students the center of harassment and ridicule by using a public social media account. She posted children on this account without consent, publicly shaming them. She should no longer be able to represent the district and its schools, including RBHS, and should be effectively removed from her position as a Board member.