The Florida high school student whose prom proposal sparked online outrage and racial backlash will not attend prom, according to a statement from his family’s lawyer.
Noah Crowley, a senior at Riverview High School, posted a photo of himself holding a sign with the words, “If I were black I’d be picking cotton, but I’m white so I’m picking you 4 prom?”
In a statement provided to NBC News, Crowley’s parents said their son will not attend any future “school activities or functions, including the Prom or graduation.” The statement says the decision was made after several conversations as a family and additional discussions with Riverview High School administrators.
Crowley, 18, also faces potential discipline from his school, according to officials.
Fellow Riverview senior Erin Williams shared Crowley’s post on Facebook and it quickly went viral. The specific reference to “picking cotton” sparked outrage and accusations of racism on social media.
Crowley posted an apology on social media over the weekend saying the post “was a complete joke and it went too far.”
“After reading the texts and Snapchat’s I truly see how I have offended people and I’m sorry,” Crowley wrote in the Snapchat post.
This is the world we live in now where hatred and intolerance is the norm.It is time people learnt that blacks are people of dignity who value hardwork and deserve respect.
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