HOUSTON – A Fort Bend ISD high school student said he was forced to change his outfit after showing up to school dressed as a slave for “Decades Day” at his high school on Tuesday.
Brian Ibe is a senior at Ridge Point High School in Missouri City.
This week is spirit week, in honor of homecoming. Each day, the students dress up in costume according to the day’s theme.
On Tuesday, the theme was “Decades Day,” and Ibe showed up to school wearing a ball and chain and a shredded T-shirt splattered in fake blood, and he was carrying a pitchfork and bag of cotton.
“I decided to dress in the time when there were slaves, from about the 1600s to the 1800s,” Ibe said.
Ibe said he wanted to recognize the plight of his ancestors, but school administrators weren’t on the same page.
“They told me to take it off,” Ibe said. “They said I should take it off before it starts problems and makes people uncomfortable.”
Ibe ended up changing out of his costume to avoid an in-school suspension.
While he admitted some people might find the outfit offensive, he said it’s part of United States history and there is no reason to cover it up.
Fort Bend ISD spokesperson Amanda Bubela sent Channel 2 this statement:
“While I am unable to share specific information about any student, it is important to note that the RPHS administration has been reminding students that they will be enforcing the dress code despite the daily spirit week activities.
"If a student is dressed inappropriately, and/or if their dress is considered a distraction to the learning environment, they will and have been asked to change clothes. In the last couple of days, less than a dozen students have been asked to change or modify their clothing.
"Ridge Point High School is encouraging students to express their school spirit this week, while adhering to the dress code. It is important that the campus maintain a distraction-free learning environment.”