Student sues Minnesota high school over ‘Wednesday Wigger Day’

View of Red Wing High School

High school is hard enough for most kids but for former Red Wing High School student Quera Pruitt the fact that a number of students celebrated what they called Wednesday Wigger Day during Homecoming week made it that much worse. Pruitt, a black student who attended a predominantly white school, graduated in 2010 and has filed a lawsuit seeking $75,000 in damages because she argues the school created a racially hostile environment by doing nothing to stop the annual event.

If you’re not familiar with term ‘Wigger’ here’s a definition via Courthouse News that comes directly from the official lawsuit:

“Wigger is a pejorative slang term for a white person who emulates the mannerisms, language and fashions associated with African-American culture … Wigger is a combination of the words White and Nig*er. Wigger, within the Red Wing community, may also mean ‘Winger Nig*er.’ Wangsta is also a pejorative slang term for a white person who emulates the mannerisms, language and fashions associated with African-American culture.”

Pruitt moved to the district from Little Rock, Arkansas as a Junior in 2009 and when she was confronted with the event in question she complained and then-Superintendent Stan Slessor told a television reporter that he was disappointed in the students’ actions and would “address issues of human relations.” Students who were deemed to have dressed in this theme were asked to go home and change. In reaction a Facebook page was started that supported the event with a tag line of, “lets keep wigger wendesday goin til that c*nt quits.”

I was able to find the following video from wankstas corner on YouTube that features wanksta D and wanksta A from Red Wing doing what they call the “wanksta song.” It includes some profanity:

According to the suit this ‘Wednesday Wigger Day’ started back in 2007 when a group of around 70 Juniors and Seniors decided to not go with the Student Government voted ‘Tropical Day’ and did their own thing. As part of this new festivity students would show up in:

“…oversized sports jerseys, low-slung pants, baseball hats cocked to the side and ‘doo rags’ on their heads. Some of the students displayed gang signs.”

Pruitt quit track, cheerleading as well as the student council and fell into a deep depression after seeing how negatively her friends reacted following her open complaints. She also refused to participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration at the school because she believed it was farcical in light of ‘Wigger Day.’

Current Superintendent Karsten Anderson said in a written statement:

“The district denies the allegations that it has created a racially hostile environment and looks forward to meeting these allegations in court. Since this concerns pending litigation, the district has no further comment at this time.”