Pine View High School Employee Resigns Following Black Face Controversy

A part time employee for Pine View High School has resigned after a recent controversy surrounding an alleged case of black face at a high school football game. 

KUTV reported the resignation saying the principal of Pine View High School sent a statement to members of the community via e-mail saying they don’t believe the act was racially motivated, but that the outcome was hurtful, nonetheless. 

Principal Mike Mees said, “Pine View's mission is to educate students in a variety of areas to prepare them for life. Regardless of the intent of the incident, let's understand why blackface is never acceptable and learn together. Its origins are rooted in racism, as a way for performers to make fun of or demean and stereotype an entire culture. Again, while this incident was not racially motivated, the outcome was hurtful.” 

The email doesn’t provide the identity of the employee or what their position was at Pine View, but the email does state how the school officials are pushing for improvement across the whole staff at the high school. 

Mees said, “Pine View High School is committed to having conversations and implementing actions with our faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders in our continued efforts to provide the highest quality education we can for your kids. We know we can always improve, and we will do better. Thank you for your ongoing support and consideration of this important topic.” 

As a reminder of what occurred at the football game, here’s what we wrote on August 27 in KDXU Sunrise Stories. 

Controversy Stirs as Pineview Students are Accused of Wearing Blackface  

A pair of male students at Pine view High School are being accused of wearing blackface at a football game on Friday.  

The two students can be seen with their faces painted black posing with cheerleaders as they were awarded the most spirited award that evening.  

A father of a Pine View student voiced his concern for the situation, saying the students should have been punished, not rewarded.  

Defenders of the two male students are saying they were just following the blackout theme of the football game, and Pine View High School’s mascot is a black panther, leading some to believe they were just showing their school spirit.