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Citadel cadets suspended over KKK-like images

by Jesse Byrnes - 12/11/15 12:05 PM ET

Eight cadets at The Citadel have been suspended and sent home Friday after photos emerged showing students wearing all-white clothing and head coverings reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan.

The Charleston, S.C., military college said Thursday it was looking into images posted online depicting an upper class cadet in front of seven cadets wearing pointed pillowcases with punched eyeholes.

{mosads}The college’s president said in a statement that he found the images “offensive and disturbing” and said they were “not consistent with our core values of honor, duty and respect.”

“Preliminary reports are cadets were singing Christmas carols as part of a ‘Ghosts of Christmas Past’ skit,” Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa said in the statement.

“In accordance with College policy, we immediately began suspension proceedings for those cadets known to be involved, and we are continuing to investigate this incident,” he added.

A representative for the college told The Hill that that the students had been suspended and went home early Friday morning.

The Citadel Minority Alumni Association’s chairman said in a statement Thursday afternoon that “the characterization of what took place was ‘not a mistake’ that can simply be swept under the rug.”

The group praised the college for taking swift action to address the postings but said “much more needs to be done to address the culture that continues to house recurring prejudices against minority cadets.”

Charleston is the site of a shooting earlier this year by a white gunman at a historic black church that roiled debate over race across the country and prompted outcry over the Confederate battle flag and other symbols.

The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley, a former governor of Maryland, has called for the Confederate symbol to be removed at The Citadel in the wake of the images.

Why would anyone think that this is ok? Will the administration at The Citadel let this go? This picture is a disgrace…

Posted by Citadel Minority-Alumni on Thursday, December 10, 2015