Message asking students to join Ku Klux Klan at Penns Valley school draws concern

Halie Kines, Keely Doll
·1 min read
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A student responsible for a message inviting Penns Valley students to join the Ku Klux Klan will be “disciplined in accordance with district policy,” the superintendent said Friday.

A Snapchat — a messaging app in which photos and messages are usually only available for a short time before they become inaccessible — was sent to a group of students this week that had a photo of hooded KKK members, “Ku Klux Klan” in big letters and text that said “To sign up snap me your lunch number.” The message said the first meeting would be held that day.

Brian Griffith, superintendent of the Penns Valley Area School District, said the district “investigated the matter.”

“We did receive a vague report from a parent. We have investigated the matter and substantiated that a message was distributed to approximately 10 students. The student responsible will be disciplined in accordance with district policy,” Griffith wrote in an email Friday.

According to an email obtained by the Centre Daily Times, Bryan Sampsel, Centre County’s sheriff, also forwarded the information to the state police.

The Ku Klux Klan is the oldest and most infamous of American hate groups, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, and it has a long history of violence. The KKK’s primary targets have been Black people, although followers also attack Jewish people, those who have immigrated to the United States and members of the LGBTQ+ community, according to the SPLC.

One parent whose child received the Snapchat estimated the group had more than 20 kids in it. The parent, who asked not to be identified due to privacy concerns for their child, said racist incidents like this aren’t uncommon in the Penns Valley area.

“It feels like it’s getting worse,” the parent said.