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Trump-Themed Spirit Week Display At A West Kentucky High School Attracts Controversy

Dawson Springs Independent Schools

A “spirit week” decoration at a west Kentucky high school is attracting controversy after one class chose President Trump as their decoration theme.

Students at Dawson Springs High School in Hopkins County decorated a hallway with the theme “Trump The Aces”. The theme is in reference to a basketball game scheduled for Saturday with the Frederick Fraize High School Aces.

Photos of the decorations received negative backlash after being posted on Facebook. A Dawson Springs High School student on background confirmed the authenticity of the photos. 

Dawson Springs Independent Schools Superintendent Leonard Whalen in an interview Friday said the decorations were inappropriate. He said they were quickly removed after he found out about the display.

“We’re not happy about it, obviously,” Whalen said. “It’s something that shouldn’t have happened.”

The hallway decorations included internet “memes” about the president, references to Mexico, and a version of the president’s proposed border wall along the U.S. southern border. Whalen said the original concept and slogan were approved by the school administration, but additional decorations including the “border wall” were not seen or approved by the principal or assistant principal. 

Whalen said an internal review is in progress to determine those responsible for the decorations. He also said the district will assess its policy regarding political expression in schools.

Dalton York is a Morning Edition host and reporter for WKYU in Bowling Green. He is a graduate of Murray State University, where he majored in History with a minor in Nonprofit Leadership Studies. While attending Murray State, he worked as a student reporter at WKMS. A native of Marshall County, he is a proud product of his tight-knit community.
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