A group of 11th grade students from Dover High School in New Hampshire ended up sparking a district investigation into their actions due to the way they handled their assignment for a US history class, NBC News reports.
As Dover School District Superintendent William Harbron explained to the news agency, the students were told to create a jingle based on the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, the very time period during which the Ku Klux Klan was formed.
A video that was apparently recorded during the presentation on Friday and was later leaked online, features the students singing the jingle to the tune of Jingle Bells, and reciting lyrics like "White masks on our heads, blood beneath our feet, laughing till they’re dead — ha, ha, ha."
In response to this development, the district released a letter saying that the incident is being investigated, while Habron said he "was not aware of any previous disciplinary issues involving the students and said the district wanted to learn from the incident."
"We are deeply concerned that an event such as this could occur and understand the emotion and concern that this event will create for our students, families and staff. Administration from Dover High School and the District are working with students and the school community to respond immediately and effectively to this racial insensitivity," the letter said.
