A primary school has slammed a P&C fundraiser held on its campus after a parent dressed in black and a dreadlocked wig before winning the best dressed award.
The man wore the offending outfit at a 90s-themed bingo night organized by the P&C committee at North Woodvale Primary School in Perth’s north.
The guest was seen wearing brown face paint, a dreadlocked wig and a green, gold and black suit in now-deleted photos from the May 25 event.
Guests were invited to dress up as their favorite ’90s character, and the man dressed as a member of the Jamaican bobsleigh team from the sitcom Cool Runnings.
The school’s P&C bingo committee was forced to apologize after the matter came to the attention of North Woodvale’s principal.
A father who attended a school fundraiser in blackface and a dreadlocked wig won best dressed, forcing the school to apologize (father is pictured in his costume)
The man wore the offending outfit at a 90s-themed bingo night organized by the P&C committee at North Woodvale Primary School in north Perth (pictured).
In a statement, the committee said it had been “naive” about the complex history of blackface when it announced the father was the best dressed of the night.
‘The North Woodvale Elementary School P&C Bingo Committee would like to acknowledge and acknowledge our mistake and personal naivety in not understanding the complex history of a certain costume, which we awarded with Best Dressed Male Costume on the night of May 25 at our bingo fundraiser. ‘she said.
‘We sincerely apologize to the wider school and the Woodvale community for the harm it clearly caused. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive and welcoming committee within our school and will learn from our mistakes.’
The director general of the Department of Education, Lisa Rodgers, told the Western Australia the incident was “disappointing and unacceptable.”
Guests were invited to dress up as their favorite ’90s character, and the man dressed as a member of the Jamaican Cool Runnings bobsleigh team (pictured).
He said the bingo night had been held off-site with no staff present and did not reflect the school’s culture or values.
“As soon as the school principal became aware of this matter, he immediately contacted the president of the P&C association to express his concerns and express his disappointment,” Mrs Rodgers said.
Blackface routines were common throughout much of the 20th century, but a white person taking the stage with dark skin, particularly for comedic purposes, is now considered offensive in most contexts.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted North Woodvale Primary School for comment.
