Parents and students in one school district are upset over a school board member’s comments about a high school fashion show held to commemorate Black History Month.

Students organized and ran a celebration of African-American fashion at River Bluff High School at the end of February. But the show didn’t sit well with at least one member of the Lexington 1 school board.

“The presentation, which was meant to honor African-American culture, devolved into a disgraceful display that was both disgusting and disrespectful to the students, families, and the community we serve,” Katie McCown wrote on her campaign Facebook page.

McCown did not respond to a request for comment from The State.

McCown wrote in the social media post that the clothes displayed by River Bluff students were “blatantly inappropriate for a school setting and totally against dress code” and that “cash was tossed onto the stage in a manner that reduced a serious cultural celebration to a grotesque spectacle.”

“Let me be absolutely clear: such behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” McCown wrote. “I assure you that I am pursuing who to hold accountable and those who permitted this lapse in judgment and to prevent any recurrence.”

That critique has led to blowback from the students and parents who organized the show was a display of their heritage. Mother Natalie McCausland, whose daughter Sydney was part of the fashion show, said the students had gotten approval to hold a display of different fashions through the decades, and held it under the school’s supervision.

“They were so excited to put it on. They spoke about it for weeks,” McCausland said. “They were praised by the administration, telling them they did a wonderful job, and then here comes this social media post degrading what they worked for. It’s OK have your own opinion, but attaching the board to it… that becomes a big issue.”

Sydney McCausland, 16, was one of the models for the show. She said it was not only a fun experience she shared with her friends, but “to uplift people and express our creativity – just show a different aspect of Black culture, what we listen to and what we wear.”

The mother took particular offense to a follow-up comment McCown made to the post, saying the “whole thing is such a disgusting display of their history.

“A great teaching moment would be to explain how they could have dressed as their actual heritage did/does and perhaps educated others on where African people come from,” McCown wrote. “It’s embarrassing to our district when we claim excellence that there are adults in the room championing this type of vulgar and ghetto behavior – throwing money and ‘twerking!’”

McCown’s posts were later taken down, but screenshots of the comments were shared with The State.

“It’s not about African attire or where we come from. We come from everywhere,” Natalie McCausland said. “To say they should wear African attire because it’s Black History Month or for her to call them ghetto… if she went to the school she would know it’s not what other people are telling her.”

Sydney McCausland said the comments “missed the whole point of the show,” which was to “show how our culture is today.”

“It feels like our work on the show got tossed aside and turned into something it wasn’t,” she said.

On Monday, the Lexington 1 school board scheduled a specially called meeting in order to hold a closed-door executive session to receive “legal advice regarding board member conduct.” Board chair Kathy Henson later told The State the meeting was called in direct response to complaints about McCown’s comments.

“Individual board members have the right to express personal opinions,” Henson said in an emailed statement. “However, those views do not necessarily represent the position of the Lexington County School District One Board of Trustees or Lexington County School District One.”

Henson said board policy gives the superintendent the power to manage the district, including working with schools around concerns about school activities. Board members should refer those concerns to the superintendent to be addressed, she said.

“A social media post and comments made by Board Member Katie McCown are not aligned with the above expectations,” Henson’s statement continued. “The district has received communication pertaining to potential legal claims regarding these matters.”

Several parents and students turned out to the school district headquarters on Tarrar Springs Road to voice their displeasure, and many gathered and waved signs at passing traffic on Augusta Road before the scheduled meeting time.

But that meeting never happened because only three of the seven board members showed up. Henson, along with board members Chris Rice and Beth Shealy, had to explain to the crowd that turned out that without a quorum present the meeting couldn’t go forward.

On social media, some members said ahead of time they wouldn’t attend the meeting.

“My decision should not be viewed as support for, or opposition to, any action taken by my fellow board members,” board member Nick Pizzuti said in a Facebook post announcing he wouldn’t attend. “Instead, it reflects my belief that all board actions should be carried out in a way that fully aligns with our established policies, the requirements of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, and the trust placed in us by the public.”

Board member McKenzie Flashnick posted similar language on her Facebook page.

Natalie McCausland attended her first ever school board meeting to see how the board would address McCown’s comments, and left unimpressed.

“To be honest, it felt like a cover-up for her,” she said. “If you’re going to make so blatant a post for everybody to see, you should come and address the individuals it affected. I’m getting off my job, getting my daughter picked up after school so I’m there early… It shows what they think of the community and individuals affected. They didn’t care.”

Henson has not indicated whether the discussion slated for Monday will be added to the agenda for a future board meeting, but stressed the need for respectful communication in her statement.

“Addressing issues requires listening, thoughtful reflection and constructive dialogue,” she said. “Honest conversations help us grow as a community and strengthen our understanding of one another. Even when emotions run high, our words should reflect the respect and care we expect from every member of the Lexington One community.”

Sydney McCausland said she and others plan to attend future board meetings to raise their voices on the topic. And she said they haven’t been dissuaded by the criticism.

“We’re going to do a fashion walk again to show we are who we are and we’re going to express ourselves how we want to,” she said.

This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 12:55 PM.