COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (KPTV) -
A Colorado second-grade student tried to honor Martin Luther King Jr., but ended up sparking a debate about racism.
Sean King, 8, dressed up like MLK as part of a history project assigned by his teacher, according to a report from Colorado television station KRDO.
King's mother told KRDO her son was excited and wanted to wear a black suit, a mustache and paint his face black.
But before King's presentation, his mother said, the teacher told them a staff member and other students were offended and he had to wash the face paint off.
When they refused, they were asked to leave the school.
"I worked very hard. I tried my best. I don't want to be mean to them," King told KRDO. "It's just a costume. I don't want to insult anybody."
School district officials said there weren't guidelines given for the class project, but that wearing face paint violates the school's dress code policy.
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