First-grader's parents offer views on mask

By Jason E. Silvers

The Fort Scott Tribune

Parents of a former local first grader claim a recent incident involving their son's art project has gotten out of control.

Barry Smith, of Pittsburg, and Denita Madison, of Fort Scott, parents of 6-year-old Dallas Smith, a former student at Winfield Scott Elementary School, contacted The Fort Scott Tribune Thursday to address a story that appeared in the Wednesday edition of the paper about a white, cone-shaped mask resembling a Ku Klux Klan hood that Dallas made in art class and brought home from school on Monday.

Madison said the project was done for Halloween.

Both parents said they wanted to address rumors circulating that they contacted the media about the matter in order to get attention or start a controversy regarding racism.

"I didn't want to bring the media here to Fort Scott and blow it out of proportion like there's a lot of racist white people here," Madison said. "We're not looking for money. ... It's not like we're sitting around trying to cash in. ... We're not out to get money or anything like that."

Madison said larger media outlets contacted her and her husband after Smith posted a photo of Dallas wearing the hat on Facebook.

"It's been blown way out of proportion, (the) reason for moving him," Madison said. "They (the media) did this."

Madison said when her son brought the mask home from school, she asked him to put it on and was upset that the mask resembled a KKK hood. She informed her husband, who was also upset, and the two visited the school district on Tuesday to ask school officials about the project.

"Of course I was outraged," Smith said referring to when he first saw a photo of the mask Monday. "Why is my son wearing this KKK mask? By the next day, I had a chance to calm down."

Madison said her son told her that Winfield Scott art teacher Russ Gordon helped him and other students in the class make the hats, which are designed to teach the principles of shape, symmetry and texture. Gordon said in an NBC report that students designed their own masks with paper based on a poster Gordon showed them with different masks from around the world to give the students ideas. Students were able to choose their own directions.

Madison said according to her son, all of the students' projects are of the same design.

"All the kids in his class should have a similar mask," she said. "My son didn't pick the shape, and I believe my son. I'm not putting the blame on my son. Everyone in the class made a particular hat."

She further described the mask as having a red dot on each side, which Dallas said were the "eyes." Dallas colored the white paper mask green and orange. Madison said she is trying to protect her son because of his age and that he doesn't understand the situation or why he is getting so much attention.

Several attempts to reach Gordon since Wednesday have been unsuccessful. Gordon said in an NBC report Monday the description of Dallas' hat given by Barry Smith was not the purpose of the project.

Smith said he and his wife tried to talk to Gordon, but were told he was unavailable.

"It's not about money," Smith said. "I don't even want to see Mr. Gordon fired. ... I'd like for the project to be changed and sensitivity training for (Winfield Scott Principal Billie Jo) Mrs. Drake. I didn't feel a racial intent in his (Gordon's) interview, that's why I wanted to talk to him. Maybe he just made an honest mistake. A 6-year-old sure can't design a mask like that."

Dallas' parents moved him to a school in Pittsburg, not because of racism, but rather how they feel they were treated by Drake when they asked her about the matter. Several attempts to contact Drake for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.

"We took him out because of Mrs. Drake's poor attitude," Madison said.

Madison added Drake "basically laughed in our face" and did not apologize, contrary to the NBC report. Drake did tell them that she could possibly get the mask project stopped. Smith and Madison said they also talked to USD 234 Superintendent Richard Werling the same day and Werling apologized.