Riley's Farm: We Don't Put Nooses Over Children's Heads

Originally published 9:38 a.m. May 8, 2014. Edited with new details.

A note from Benita Fawcett Riley of Riley's Farm in Yucaipa, in regards to the controversy over an African-American boy from Oxford Preparatory Academy who was selected by his teacher to demonstrate a noose. 

1. In this program, students circulate through various dramatic workshops, featuring the cultural, political, and military life of the Civil War period. These include marching and drill, a civil war surgery discussion, Victorian etiquette, a secession debate, a military court martial, and others.

2. During the Civil War era, soldiers who deserted from the army could face the penalty of a firing squad or a hanging. The station, in question, is ONLY about military discipline.

3. At the court martial station, a living historian dressed as a soldier asks the teacher or parental group leader to pick children to participate who like drama and who can speak before a group of people.

4. In this scenario, the living historian holds a noose as a prop. It is NEVER put over a child's head. In every scenario the student is found "guilty" and then pardoned. 

5. During this particular scenario, the child kept trying to put the noose over his head, and our living historian stopped the student from doing so.

6. The parent making the complaint was not present at the time and never approached us regarding the incident and chose, instead, to take the story to the media. 

7. We understand, of course, that certain images (the Confederate States flag and uniform, for example) can be seen as offensive to some groups. However, there is simply no way to conduct a living history teaching experience without using the clothing and props of the era.

8. Our extended family has been conducting living history field trips in Oak Glen since 1986. We currently see between 50 and 60,000 students a year. In all that time, with our tour count reaching nearly a million students, we have never had a complaint of this sort."

To clarify, our living historian dressed as a soldier asked the teacher to pick a child to participate who likes drama and who can speak before a group of people. The teacher does not nessasarily know what the penalty for desertion is. After a ten to fifteen minute discussion the penalty for desertion is presented this is when the student ATTEMPTED to put the noose on his head but the living historian did not allow it to be put around his neck.