Social media posts show blackface costume, racial slurs used at Wausau Halloween party

Laura Schulte | Wausau Daily Herald

(Editor's note: A link to a video referenced in the social media post below contains graphic and offensive language. Viewer discretion is advised.)

WAUSAU - On the same day NBC cut ties with host Megyn Kelly over comments about wearing blackface, social media posts from a Halloween party attended by current and recent high school students are raising concerns about racism and inclusiveness in Wausau.

The posts show a young man wearing blackface and another man making racial slurs, including using the "N-" word, on a video. They were widely shared after Kayley McColley, a recent Wausau West graduate who is biracial, posted screenshots and a video clip on her Facebook page.

"When I had initially seen it, I had to look at it a few times," McColley said.

While the men shown in the posts are not current students, a 2017 Wausau West graduate told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin that students from Wausau West, Wausau East and D.C. Everest High Schools attended the party.

McColley and another concerned community member met with Wausau School District Superintendent Keith Hilts days after the posts circulated to discuss their concerns.

Hilts on Friday said that educating students about inclusiveness and respect is part of the everyday curriculum for Wausau students, but that there likely won't be a specific response to this one event. Still, he said that doesn't mean that the effect of the photos and video isn't significant for the community.

"I know these types of events are disturbing," he said.

McColley said she got a lot of feedback on the post, both from people against the blackface costume and others who didn't have a problem with it or found it funny.

"Just to see that so many people were OK with that, it just shows some level of tolerance to behavior that is offensive to people of color," she said. "People underestimate how isolating it can be."

McColley said she struggled with whether she would make a post about it, but she ultimately decided that sharing the photos and video, with her own comments, would be beneficial.

The party in Wausau happened weeks before a photo of male Baraboo High School students giving a Nazi salute before last spring's junior prom was widely circulated on Twitter. The fallout from the Baraboo image has ranged from possible scholarship revocation for the young men involved to possible legal action by the district. Anti-hate groups have offered the school resources to help the students understand the content and consequences of the photo.

And it happened the same day NBC cut the "Megyn Kelly Today" show after Kelly defended blackface Halloween costumes on air. Kelly seemed to defend both blackface and white face for Halloween, saying that it was OK as long as the person was dressing as a character.

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McColley said that after the Facebook post, she reached out to Superintendent Hilts to talk. She said she knew that the men in the videos likely couldn't be punished because they're no longer students. But, she said, she hoped that maybe something could be done to educate current students so things like this don't keep occurring in Wausau.

She, along with Wausau resident Chris Norfleet, explained to Hilts why the video and photos were upsetting.

"I was trying to draw connections about how this is bigger than just this video or bigger than just these boys, because, you know, they're not the only ones who have said that word and they're not the only ones who engage in discriminatory behavior or even threatening behavior," she said.

She said she believes Wausau West needs to get better at teaching students about racism and tolerance.

"Just because I know that more can be done," she said. "And that's not to say West hasn't made efforts or West doesn't have teachers that are dedicated to teaching about history and denouncing racism. There's always improvements to be made."

Norfleet said that seeing the posts go around in the days before Halloween was painful. But, he said, Hilts was responsive to their meeting and agreed that education could be used as a tool, and that the school should take a firm stance against the behavior.

Wausau School Board President Jeff Leigh said because the men who dressed up were no longer students, there would be no repercussions. But as a result of the party, he said, a presentation could be created to educate students about why the photos and videos were so offensive.

"Showing a video to high school students in their homerooms wouldn't be hard," he said.

Leigh said that with his background in teaching history, he's aware that this problem is long-standing for the nation as a whole, but it's become more pressing recently.

"We want to handle this head-on," he said.

McColley said that while the blackface was worn as a costume for a Halloween party, the holiday can't be used as an excuse. Because blackface was historically used to demean and make fun of African Americans, it's an offensive and troubling costume that left her disappointed and asking questions of the community.

"With this current climate, in light of recent events, it's concerning," she said. "Where's the line?"