February 18 2026, 08:15 
Ten students at Redwood High School in California’s Central Valley are facing blowback from fellow students and the wider community after they spelled out the word “FA***TS” (without the asterisks) on t-shirts during a school assembly on Friday.
On Monday, Visalia Unified School District officials announced that “disciplinary action” had been taken over the “hateful homophobic slur.”
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The display by the high school seniors, who another student described as “leaders” at the school, happened at the end of a senior class photo op that coincided with an eighth-grade high school orientation day.
Earlier in the day, two 8th-grade boys were seen holding hands at the school, students told the Visalia Times Delta. Other students refuted that claim.
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At the official senior class photo shoot, hundreds of seniors were seated in the bleachers in the school gym, with students in the front row wearing t-shirts that spelled out the words, “Class of 2026, Always Legit.”
Following the shoot, eight of the students rearranged themselves to spell out the LGBTQ+ slur, with two more female classmates seated behind them in support. Arms over shoulders, the group of young men and women all smiled broadly.
Several students in the gym snapped photos of the display, and the “prank” went viral on social.
“A lot of people at school, including the senior class, are really upset about the ignorant and rash actions of people who were in the photo,” one Redwood High senior told KFSN News.
“They are widely known in school. They’re supposed to be leading by example with the clubs that they run and represent, and people are just really mad because online things can surface really fast,” she said.
Reaction from school officials was swift.
Redwood High School Principal Dr. Brandon Gridiron sent a message to the school community Friday night, alerting them of the incident and promising a swift investigation.
Kirk Shrum, Superintendent of the Visalia Unified School District, amplified concerns over the “image portraying Redwood students spelling out a hateful homophobic slur.”
“We affirm that this behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect who we are or the values we uphold in our schools,” Shrum said.
“The district will be supporting the Redwood administration in conducting a thorough investigation of this matter, including taking appropriate action and providing necessary consequences in accordance with district policy and relevant law.”
That punishment was meted out on Monday.
“Following a thorough investigation, appropriate disciplinary action has taken in accordance with district policy,” Shrum said in a statement. He didn’t specify what those actions were.
In addition to high school sanctions, seniors could face consequences from the colleges to which they’ve applied. Colleges and universities often vet applicants’ social media presence as part of the admissions process.
“This wasn’t ‘kids being kids.’ It was a deliberate decision to create and display a poster board of privilege by students who represent leadership,” said one parent, Josette Romero Guzmán, on Facebook, the Sacramento Bee reported. “Our children deserve better examples of responsibility, empathy, and leadership.”
Visalia LGBTQ+ center, The Source, reported being inundated with calls after the image circulated.
“Let’s be clear: this is not a harmless joke. Incidents like this reinforce stigma, normalize hate, and send a painful message to LGBTQ+ students that they are unsafe, unwelcome, or unworthy of respect. That message carries real consequences for young people’s mental health, safety, and sense of belonging.”
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