DECATUR, A.L. — An Alabama teacher received backlash after painting himself black as part of a Kanye West costume.
Heath Morrow, a fifth-grade teacher at Chestnut Grove Elementary School, apologized on Monday for the costume he wore over the weekend. Morrow said he made an “error in judgment.”
According to reports, Morrow and his wife dressed as Kanye West and wife Kim Kardashian for a Halloween party.
A picture of the two in costume was posted to Morrow’s wife’s Facebook page and was shared on Reddit, where it went viral.
A Decatur City Schools representative called a news conference Monday morning to discuss the controversial picture.
Superintendent Ed Nichols read a letter of apology Morrow:
To whom this may concern:
I would like to first apologize for my error in judgment. My intentions were not malicious or directed toward any certain group of people. I would also like to say that everyone who knows my character and knows my heart, knows that I have never seen color in my life. I wasn’t raised or taught that way and do not raise my children that way. I see people for who they are, and my wife and I go out of our way to help anyone we can in my profession as an educator. When deciding to dress up for a Halloween party, my wife and I made a decision based on celebrities and the political climate today. I do not want this to reflect on my school or school system based on my poor decision that I made. Again I apologize and this will not happen again.
Sincerely,
Heath Morrow
Apology from Decatur teacher who took picture dressed in blackface as Kanye West for private Halloween party. @whnt pic.twitter.com/2H7LkIRMBQ
— David Kumbroch WHNT (@davidknews) October 26, 2015
