Teacher apologizes for 'offensive' Easter invite: 'We do not want any dark bunnies'

Elise Solé
A teacher at Ninety Six Primary School apologized to parents for writing, “We do not want any dark bunnies” as it pertained to costume colors for an Easter school event. (Photo: Getty Images)
A teacher at Ninety Six Primary School apologized to parents for writing, “We do not want any dark bunnies” as it pertained to costume colors for an Easter school event. (Photo: Getty Images)

A South Carolina school cleared up a grammatical error that “dark bunnies” weren’t allowed at a costumed Easter event.

Before an April 29th Easter program at Ninety Six Primary School, music teacher Crystal Still sent families a letter with guidelines for children’s costumes. “Please use very light (white, tan or light grey only) clothes for the bunny,” she wrote, emphasizing the event’s Spring theme.

But one line — “We do not want any dark bunnies” — caused a “social media stir,” according to a Greenwood news organization, the Index-Journal. A parent commented on social media that her child felt excluded (Yahoo Lifestyle reached out to the mother, but she did not respond for comment).

“Children and parents (especially brown parents) see it another way,” wrote a user, another claiming, “Very offensive.”

A South Carolina music teacher offended some with an Easter invitation that underscored “No dark bunnies” in relation to a Spring color scheme. (Photo: Courtesy of Greenwood School District 52)
A South Carolina music teacher offended some with an Easter invitation that underscored “No dark bunnies” in relation to a Spring color scheme. (Photo: Courtesy of Greenwood School District 52)

Rex S. Ward, the superintendent of Greenwood School District 52, tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “Greenwood 52 School District admits that better wording could have been used and apologizes to all the people it offended. The intent of the line was to discourage students from wearing dark clothing. In the previous and following lines, the teacher refers to the color of clothes the students need to wear for the performance.”

Ward emailed Yahoo Lifestyle an apologetic letter from Still. “Dear parents, I would like to apologize for the note you received for the first-grade program a couple of weeks ago. I am so sorry if it offended anyone because that was certainly not my intent. I was referring to the clothing that students need to wear for the program so that they will all look ‘spring-like’ dressed in light, spring-colored clothing. I am sorry that I did not explain that correctly. Please accept my apology and I hope to see you and your sweet bunny at the performance on April 29.”

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