Racist ‘ur dad is my gardener’ poster investigated at California school, officials say

A racist poster shared online that read “ur dad is my gardener” has sparked an investigation at a Southern California high school, officials said.

“The district will not tolerate this kind of damaging behavior by our students or on our school campuses,” the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District said in a statement.

District officials noted the physical sign was not posted at Yorba Linda High School in Orange County, but “unequivocally” condemned any form of discrimination. The photo posted online appears to show a student holding the poster in a classroom.

The poster may have targeted students at football rival Esperanza High School, which is 37% Latino, the Los Angeles Times reported. The two schools are scheduled to play Friday.

“It’s very upsetting,” Kaitlyn Gonzalez, an Esperanza High School student, told KCBS. “This is all over a football game and it’s really unnecessary.”

“It’s not right (to) do,” fellow student Bradley Knowles told the station. “This is just high school. It’s just friendly.”

“It was disgraceful and it proved how I feel living in this community … a community that is a bit racist,“ parent Leah Davis, who saw the poster online, told the Los Angeles Times.

Yvonne Gonzalez Duncan, a leader with the civil rights organization League of United Latin American Citizens, called the poster “unacceptable,” The Orange County Register reported. Gonzalez Duncan said she was pleased by the district’s pledge to investigate.

Citing student confidentiality, the school district said information on any disciplinary actions will not be revealed.

This story was originally published September 30, 2021 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Racist ‘ur dad is my gardener’ poster investigated at California school, officials say."