‘Demonized’ portrait at school becomes point of controversy
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
The Burlington Area School District hosted an open house for visitors to tour 10 different buildings Saturday.
What was supposed to be an event to celebrate, and show appreciation for community members who voted for a multi-million dollar referendum, ignited into controversy when a visitor spotted three-year-old picture of Abraham Lincoln with devil horns inside a Karcher Middle School classroom.
“It was a celebratory event that provided an opportunity for the district to thank the community for its support and showcase our beautiful schools and students,” the district states. “Many staff members volunteered their time to talk to community members and answered their questions.”
One resident, according to the district, did not ask officials about the context surrounding the Lincoln art piece and instead sent the image to conservative radio host Dan O’Donnell.
While O’Donnell said the artwork was drawn by a student, news sources state, the district refuted the claim in a statement issued on Monday.
“From the goodwill generated on Saturday, it is disappointing that on Monday the talk is about a photo of a piece of artwork inside a Karcher Middle School classroom,” the district stated. “To our knowledge, no one asked the staff available about the piece or the context. Instead, the photo was shared with a news outlet.”
The Abraham Lincoln portrait, drawn with devil horns protruding from his head, is colored in black and orange to represent the district’s colors and its Demon mascot.
Eric Samuel Timm, an orator, author, artist and advocate, created the drawing during an April 24, 2019, assembly hosted by Burlington High School and Karcher Middle School.
However, according to district, O’Donnell took the artwork out of context without reaching out to the district for further elaboration.
To read the full story see the April 7 edition of the Burlington Standard Press.
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