In Oklahoma City, a college recruiter for Oklahoma Christian University allegedly instructed Harding Charter Preparatory High School students to line up according to skin color and hair texture, as reported by ABC News. The recruiter, who allegedly told the high school juniors they were going to “play a little game” in the high school gymnasium on Feb. 24, has since been fired.
According to students, the admissions counselor, who has not been publicly identified, told the students to arrange themselves into a line in order of darkest to lightest skin complexion. After that, it was based on which student had the “nappiest” hair, Rio Brown, a student witness, told KFOR-TV, with the straightest hair toward the front of the line.
Brown told the local station the recruiter “wasn't really knowledgeable how to speak to people even in a diverse school." According to Brown, teachers noticed too—and were far from pleased. "They were crying, and they were offended,” he stated. “Their faces just look disgusted. I know they had a talk with him after, like, 'That's not okay.'”
The college issued a statement to News 4, noting it did not approve the activity.
"The OC admissions counselor who visited Harding Charter Preparatory Academy on Monday is no longer an Oklahoma Christian University employee. OC admissions leadership did not approve the inappropriate activity in advance and has communicated closely with Harding administration since the visit. Admissions staff are scheduled to visit the academy Monday to apologize to Harding students and staff on behalf of the University."
School principal Steven Stefanick released a statement, as follows in part.
“Unfortunately, an incident occurred this Monday when a college recruiter from Oklahoma Christian University led a group activity with our students that involved inappropriate and hurtful statements…. The Harding Charter Preparatory High School governance board, administration, and staff does not condone any behavior and/or language that undermines our community’s values.”
As Daily Kos has previously covered, racism and implicit bias are still systemic issues when it comes to hair. For example, one third-grader in Michigan wasn’t allowed to have her picture taken at school because of her “unnatural” hair extensions. While attending school, one 13-year-old boy in Texas had his haircut colored in with a black Sharpie by white staff. Some bills have moved forward to combat employment discrimination against black workers because of hair, including the CROWN Act.
"I could already see through his BS basically,” student Korey Todd added in reference to the recruiter. “He was a white man.”