Grace College employees fired over mock rap album photo

Jessica Hice | IndyStar

Evan Kilgore showed up to work June 2 at Grace College & Seminary ready for "wrap day," a whimsically themed day for all marketing employees. There were lettuce wraps for lunch. Everyone dressed as rappers. A photo was taken for a fake rap album cover.

Six days later, the special projects coordinator for the evangelical Christian college in Winona Lake and two other unidentified employees were fired. The photo of the fake album cover had been posted on an employee's Facebook page. Criticism followed.

The photo shows Kilgore and four other employees, all white, dressed as rappers. One man appears to be wearing an Afro wig. Kilgore has "Thug Life" written on his knuckles and a fake teardrop tattoo. Another employee wears a backward baseball cap and shows a fake tattoo. Most are showing fake gang signs. "N.G.A." appears in the top left corner.

One comment on the Facebook post, which was deleted June 6, called Kilgore and the employees "white privileged."

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Another comment said: "What point are you trying to make? That you're gangster, thug, or hood? … And the only time they (the terms) seem to be okay is when white people use them to make light or fun of the situation."

Kilgore was left stunned.

"I am feeling overwhelmed and hurt," Kilgore told IndyStar on Wednesday. "We thought it would be a funny parody of the Grace College culture."

"N.G.A." is short for "Not Grace Appropriate," a term jokingly used by students and staff on campus, Kilgore said. It refers to anything condoned "sinful" by the church and any behavior that is "not to be condoned," Kilgore added.

"When we named our fake album, we never were implying that how we looked or what were dressed like was 'not Grace appropriate,'" he said.

Founded in 1948, the college, located in Kosciusko County, offers 72 majors and prides itself in preparing students for a life of ministry and devotion to the church community.

The president of Grace College, Dr. Bill Katip, released a statement the day after Kilgore was fired.

"Earlier this week, an insensitive and inappropriate photo was posted by a Grace College employee," Katip wrote. "This post elicited a significant amount of criticism, concern and hurt from our alumni, students, parents, friends and others.

"We must do more to help ensure people of all backgrounds are treated with respect and feel welcome," Katip added.

Kilgore graduated from Grace College in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in communications. He delivered the welcoming speech, thanking staff and family.

"Thank you for teaching us inside of the classroom and outside of it," he said. "And thank you for loving us like Christ does."

Kilgore landed the special projects coordinator job shortly after he graduated.

"June 15th would have been my one-year anniversary," Kilgore said. "I do not believe this was handled in the most graceful manner."

Jessica Hice is a Pulliam Fellow at the Indy Star. Have story tips or comments? Call her at (317) 444-7437.