A headteacher is under investigation after a photo was found on social media showing her wearing ‘blackface’ make-up and an Afro style wig.
Liverpool Council confirmed Emma Hartley, headteacher at Our Lady & St Swithin’s Catholic Primary School in Croxteth, is being investigated after a member of the public lodged a formal complaint about the photo.
The image, seen by the ECHO, was originally posted two years ago by Ms Hartley’s partner on a Facebook page as part of a compilation celebrating their anniversary.
However it now appears to have been removed from public view, and the ECHO has chosen not to publish the image in question.
It appears to show her in fancy dress, wearing make-up darkening her skin and a wig simulating Afro style hair.
A man believed to be Ms Hartley’s partner is also in the photo.
'Blackface' refers to the use of dark make up or face paint to make a person seem as if they are black.
Throughout history, it has been used frequently to mock, demean and dehumanise black people and its use is now widely condemned - even if the wearer has no conscious racist intent.
To follow the latest news in your area, enter your postcode below.
A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council said: “We can confirm that a complaint has been received and the matter will now be investigated by the school in line with the standard school complaints policy.”
The ECHO has attempted to contact Ms Hartley for comment.
A letter of complaint, which has been sent to the council and the school, calls for a full investigation.
It says: “There is no excuse for it and ignorance can not be used as one, especially in the current climate.
“It does not make a difference which walk of life or sector of society you live or work in, it can never be acceptable to behave in such a way.
“And to see the Headteacher of a Catholic Primary School, which I’m sure is part of a community which itself has a variety of cultures in it, someone whose very job it is to teach children and the wider community against such acts of racial discrimination and stereotyping, is all the more abhorrent.”
The school will now follow its complaints policy in investigating the allegation.
