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School gives African-American child Confederate hat as auction prize

Posted at 4:45 PM, Jan 19, 2014
and last updated 2014-01-19 16:45:17-05

(WGHP) – A mom in Reidsville, North Carolina is upset after her son came home wearing a replica Confederate army hat he received as a reward at school.

Natasha Lea noticed her nine-year-old son Jacob was wearing a new gray hat when he got off the bus earlier this week, and a closer look revealed it was a confederate-style costume piece.

“I did not want to believe that. That the school actually let him walk around as an African American child with a Confederate cap on,” insisted Lea. “This stands for a dark time in our history,” she said, pointing at the hat.

Rockingham County Spokesperson Karen Hyler said the school system is aware of Lea’s concerns.

“At South End Elementary a classroom teacher rewards students with ‘big bucks’ for positive behavior,” Hyler explained in a statement today.

“Before winter break in December, the class had an auction where students could bid on different items using their big bucks. Many of the items are donated by families. One of the items for bid was a grey cap with a black bill. The cap did not feature any additional decorations.”

The cap was donated to the school, she confirmed.

Read what else the school system had to say about the cap at WGHP.