Student LeBron James’ ‘Monkey’ artwork featured in school exhibit sparks outrage as district remains silent on punishment

The New Hartford Central School District in upstate New York is under investigation after racist photos comparing NBA champion LeBron James to a monkey were shown at an art exhibit.

On May 4, the district hosted an art show, and at the middle of the scandal was a display, apparently by a middle school student, promoting a fictitious brand of breakfast cereal called “Monkey Premium.” The cereal was attached to a photograph of James in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform together with the words: “Eat monkeys, jump like monkeys!”

The piece looked prefer it was a part of a student project. The bogus ad also claimed that drinking chocolate banana flakes would make someone “jump 2-5 inches higher for approximately 2 hours after eating.”

The district superintendent confirmed that the administration has launched an investigation into how the project was approved for display on the event.

“It is disheartening that racist works were not only created, but then overlooked and allowed to be displayed.” Cosimo Tangorra, director of colleges, – wrote in the statement.

As racist images spread across social media, some users reacted to the offensive display.

“This is how I prefer my racism…blatantly,” one user wrote on X.

Another person referenced the March 2008 issue of Vogue, in which James appeared on the quilt alongside Gisele Bündchen.

“It reminds me of the time he was on the cover of a fashion magazine with a model and the magazine made him look like King Kong” – person he wrote.

James was photographed putting his arm around Bündchen and dribbling a basketball together with his other hand. James, who was 24 on the time, was dressed in sportswear, while the Brazilian model wore a form-fitting dress. James’ muscles tensed and his tattoos were visible when he bared his teeth. Bündchen, on the opposite hand, simply smiled as she struck a pose.

James did grow to be the primary black American to look on the quilt of the distinguished magazine, but Vogue also faced criticism for “perpetuating racial stereotypes.” Some argued that the publication intentionally portrayed James as a dangerous or aggressive black man who might be perceived as eloping with a white woman.

Tangorra also described the incident in the school’s gymnasium during a district-wide art exhibition as a “teachable moment” for all involved.

“The student involved has been contacted, but due to student privacy, we cannot disclose specific information about the student or whether disciplinary consequences were incurred,” the superintendent continued. “Administrators have also spoken with staff responsible for overseeing the artwork, and we are using this moment as an opportunity to teach.”

While it’s unclear whether the coed in query intended to be racist, America has a checkered history of falsely and inappropriately comparing black people to apes. Race remains certainly one of society’s complex issues, and as its understanding changes, so must “our understanding of equality in the context of systemic racism we see in different cases.