LISTEN: Silver Spring High School Principal Apologizes After Calling Cheerleaders “Ghetto”

Steve Burns
WMAL.com

SILVER SPRING — (WMAL) The principal at Springbrook High School in Silver Spring is apologizing to students and parents after he told the school’s athletic director the cheerleading routine was getting “a little too ghetto” at a recent game, according to the school newspaper.

The Blueprint’s editor-in-chief Akayla Gardner, speaking with WMAL, said cheerleaders were offended and hurt upon hearing the statement, and have since been sitting out of games in protest.

“The cheerleaders weren’t doing anything different,” Gardner said. “Mostly just cheers, stomping, clapping their hands, things like that.”

Springbrook’s student population is 91 percent nonwhite, according to figures from the 2015-2016 school year. Gardner said cheerleaders told her their routines are inspired by those at historically black colleges and universities, and are similar to routines found at other nearby high schools.

“Our cheers are short phrases. They also do stunts,” she said. There is nothing age-inappropriate and no music used, she said.

Principal Art Williams, who is African-American, apologized on Twitter, calling his comment “inappropriate” and not reflective of school values.

Many of the cheerleaders, Gardner said, were not satisfied with the online apology.

“They’ve actually been sitting out of games because they are refusing to change the cheer,” Gardner said. “Many of the cheerleaders didn’t feel as though the online apology was sincere enough.”

Gardner said Williams was holding meetings with the cheerleading squad during lunch Tuesday. A Montgomery County Schools spokesperson said further meetings will be held between students, parents, and Williams.

“I was just so disappointed that someone who represents our school would use a word like ghetto,” Gardner said. “That’s so casual and just, overall, demeaning.”