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By Paul Takahashi (contact) 
Published Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013 | 5:37 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013 | 10:30 p.m.
A class presentation involving students dressed in Ku Klux Klan costumes has one local high school embroiled in controversy. The incident took place Jan. 9 at Las Vegas Academy, a performing arts magnet school. A class assignment had students showcase their knowledge of U.S. history by either writing a research paper, creating an art or dance piece or performing a first-person narrative. Two juniors — with their social studies teacher's approval — decided to dress in KKK costumes for their class presentation. One of the students wore the white robes and hooded mask outside of the class, allegedly against the ...
Las Vegas Academy
315 S. 7Th St. Las Vegas,
NV 89101
702-799-7800 
My question: How did the KKK outfits pertain to what the students were presenting? Were they doing a first person thing about the KKK, acting as a Klansman, or what? That seems to be the important part that is missing from the story.
Comment removed by moderator. Inappropriate
This action to me is reprehensible. In 1986, not that long ago, I witnessed a Klan march in Hammond, Louisiana. Mostly a bunch of car mechanics in pillow cases and bed sheets protesting the slow prosecution of a black guy for stealing. Are we that ignorant that we don't grow up, and realize that times have changed? I am disgusted that Las Vegas allows this conduct to continue. The teacher should be fired, Amanda Fulkerson, the overpaid supervisor, should be long gone, too.
And I'm white, BTW..
If we bury all of America's checkered past, the history books will be mighty thin.
After reading the article, it is obvious that this is much ado about nothing; political correctness run amok. If the student hadn't stepped outside of the classroom with the costume on (and gotten photographed), it would never have become an issue.
My questions to those involved,
"At what point did you think this was a good idea?"
"Also tell me a time when something like this didn't backfire on the participants?"
How does one learn history if it is "politically correctly" laundered? Should we ban all movies that depict Germans in Nazi uniforms and then try to explain the Holocaust without showing a swastika? How nutty are we getting? And since when has one being offended trumped the 1st Amendment rights of others? I have no use for Nazis or KKK members but to outright ban their symbols of hatred and prejudice does not sit well with me. To me, those trying to do so are using tactics as odious as the hate-mongers and should be scorned, as well. I, for one, will not cede one iota of my freedom of speech to those thin-skinned dupes who "offended" by it. As far as I am concerned, they can kiss my royal butt!
"..... teachers must prepare carefully before and after a potentially controversial lesson to ensure the school community doesn't misunderstand its purpose and intent."
at what point do we put the onus of understanding things on the community rather than demanding that people attempting to make a point preemptively guard against "misunderstanding" or troubled thought by reducing everything to easily-digested pablum? why are people entitled to emotional tranquility through rigidly vanilla presentations of history or social commentary?
to people who can't get past their perturbance at this issue, i say....good. that's the effing point. lvfacts101 has it right.
Yep, no big deal. It was a teaching moment with the opposite intentions of what outsiders jumped to conclusions over. If the black leaders are OK, why do the politically correct do-gooders have to get all bent out of shape...as usual?
This is a great way to inform the population that the KKK is still a part of society just as the Kardashian family is a lot of Las Vegas' scenery in today's styles, shows, sports, boutiques, and other miscellaneous fun things to do that requires a lot of money to do it with.
This is similar to the reaction if the students came dressed as hitler for some WWII presentation. There are some things in human history that are so vile and despicable that they need to be handled with extra thought and sensitivity.
There's no need to run or hide from American history, it is what it is...but there's also no need to be so "in your face" with certain things either.
"...lessons on the Civil War and the civil rights movement have been among the most sensitive topics in the classroom nationally."
Takahashi -- good article
"After reading the article, it is obvious that this is much ado about nothing; political correctness run amok."
"How does one learn history if it is "politically correctly" laundered?"
Marty_S, lvfacts -- good points. Too many waiting to be offended forget these were just costumes.
"It was the same with those old birds in Greece and Rome as it is now. . . . The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know." -- President Harry Truman on the insight "Plutarch's Lives" gave him
What was the 'narrative' to go with the costumes?
If students created art or dance pieces, what did they dance and sing?
Did they carry crosses like the KKK? If not then the costumes were not authentic. Authenticity would have also required mock bonfires.
Wow I think there should be protests in front of the school, everyone involved should be fired, the kids should be expelled and the CCSD needs to look into it just in case they need to spend more money...........NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If the student that wore the KKK costume OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM had stuck to the program and NOT DONE SO, as he/she had been instructed...
this story would never have seen the light of day.
That's where this whole ordeal get's an F.
I assume the kid did so to get attention.
Well...
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Comment removed by moderator. Response to deleted comment.
It's too bad the damn kids ruined what could have been an interesting history lesson. Since kids today have the attention span of mosquitos, the teacher obviously got the kids' attention in teaching history, even though some of the ways were quite unorthodox. Living history presentations are not that uncommon. It happens more than we think. Also, it helps to understand things that are part of our Country and it's history - good and bad.
Are you kidding me? it's a costume for a class project not a uniform in which the students participate in membership. People need to get over themselves. I had to represent an employee that was a KKK supporter in a MOCK arbitration case in labor school and I was the bad guy for representing him. I had to remind these fellow union members that it was only a mock case and to treat it as such. Kudos to the kids that did the project.