Minnesota teen invites girl to prom with racist ‘picking cotton’ proposal

Another white teenager apparently thought it would be acceptable and attractive to crack a racist joke about slavery to invite a girl to prom.

Photos shared on Instagram stories of a Minnesota teenager's racist proposal went viral, as they do nearly every prom season, and his school is investigating the incident, reported KARE-TV.

"If I was Black, I'd be picking cotton," reads the sign, which the boy is holding. "But I'm white, so I'm picking you. Prom?"

It's not clear whether the girl accepted the invitation, but the photo shows a boy and girl holding the sign together.

"Big Lake Schools does not condone racism, in any form," school officials said after the photo circulated on Facebook. "Our school has been committed to implementing the Hornet Way, as a way to develop and guide our students' character and actions. The Hornet Way teaches the values of respect, honesty, kindness, responsibility, and fairness. We believe those values extend to all aspects of our school community. The School District also is committed to ensuring that all students and staff are treated equally and can attend school and report to work in a comfortable and welcoming environment. Our expectations are high and we expect compliance by all."

School officials declined to identify the student or possible disciplinary actions, citing privacy laws.

Students in other parts of the country have used that same phrase to invite classmates to prom, although others have managed to find other ways to use racist language -- including outright slurs or jokes about lynching -- in their "promposals."

Punishments in previous instances have resulted in suspensions and being banned from proms, among other penalties.