A Massachusetts school has apologized after a photograph of children dressed as a Pilgrim family in Bridgewater stirred outrage on the web.

The father of a black Mitchell Elementary School student uploaded a photo of his daughter, two white classmates and an educator in 17th century garb to Facebook.

The off-putting image shows the black child kneeling while the white children grasp a pair of tethering straps. Absent context, it proved a firestarter on social media.



As the school later explained, the tethers are actually "leading strings" used by Pilgrims and others in history to assist young children in learning to walk.



"We realize without this context added to the photo that was shared by the classroom teacher it could be perceived differently," Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District Superintendent Derek Swenson said in a statement Thursday. "Please note it was never the intent of the lesson to demean or degrade any one person or group. The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District sincerely apologizes to the students, staff and community at large for this unfortunate incident."

Commenters on the parent's photo were quick to cry "racist," but others followed up by posting pictures of the similar classroom lessons featuring all-white casts of students posed in identical fashion.



After the school's response and the posting of the other photographs, the general commentariat seemed to moderate its criticism.

Some began to point out how situations can be racist without anyone having intended them so.

Comments on the photograph from a relative of the teacher in whose classroom the photograph was taken provided more context.

The relative, who spoke to MassLive on Friday, called the teacher "the farthest thing from racist" and pointed out the stickiness of the scenario.



Was the girl supposed to have been refused participation because of her skin color?



Some commenters still said it would have been reasonable to, considering the problematic appearance, have had the black girl hold one of the tethers instead of wear the tethered garment.



The relative also said the father "reacted without talking to his daughter's teacher about it first."



"Taking to Facebook (was) not the right decision," she said.



The father's Facebook post had been shared more than 3,400 times as of Friday morning. The teacher originally sent out the picture to all parents of children in the class.



The photo was taken Oct. 13 during a lesson the school's third grade received from staff of the Plimoth Plantation historical museum. The adult in the photo is a member of the Plimoth Plantation staff.



A statement by Plimoth Plantation spokesman Rob Kluin apologized for "any misperceptions or concern that this may have caused by the lack of context offered when the photo was posted publicly."



Kluin said all students in the photo had volunteered and were attempting to portray "a family, including a mother and three children."



The father's Facebook post has since been removed. It appears the account from which it came, belonging to a Jorge Alves, was deactivated.