School District Apologizes for Student’s Edited Image

HOUSTON (AP) – A Houston-area school district has apologized for altering an image of a high school homecoming queen. Ebony Smith had purple hair when she was crowned North Shore Senior High School’s homecoming queen last month. But Galena Park Independent School District shared a photo of Smith online last week where her hair had been altered to appear brown. Smith says the image was poorly edited and embarrassing. The school district has apologized for posting the incorrect photo and has since replaced it with a black-and-white version of the picture. The district’s student handbook says bright hair colors are unacceptable in the classroom, but Smith planned to dye her hair brown after homecoming. Smith’s mother says the situation is upsetting because the district changed her daughter’s appearance.