Deer fall through the windshield of the school bus in Virginia
Footage from inside the bus shows a deer breaking through the windshield and landing on a student in the first row before getting up.
USA TODAY, Storyful
The claim: A Richmond, Virginia, principal suspended students for wearing cross ties
If the words “Mamasai Mamakusa” sound familiar to you, that’s not why a viral meme wants you to believe. The meme tells a false story of two student evictions in Virginia that never took place.
“This is Mamasai Mamakusa, a principal in Richmond, VA,” it reads. “She drove away two children because they were carrying a crucifix around their neck and said, ‘There is no place for religion at a school. ‘”
Behind the text there is an image of a woman smiling and wearing a hijab.
Fact-checkers have exposed this joke several times already, pointing out that the name refers to a lyric by Michael Jackson – not a real principal, but still the meme continues.
In response to the report, some Facebook users shared relevant fact checks, while others expressed their concern.
“Sadness is coming to this Christian country,” said one user.
Fact check: The comedian image has changed satirically to show the downfall with a proud theme
The Facebook poster did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
The story and the principal are false
The principal’s alleged name is not that of a real principal, but rather a famous lyrics from Michael Jackson’s hit ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin ‘.
USA TODAY could not find a record of Virginia schools pointing out students for wearing cross ties. A search on Richmond Public Schools’ website shows no record of the principles named Mamasai Mamakusa.
Danielle Pierce, who works as a coordinator, communications and media relations officer at Richmond Public Schools, confirmed in an email to the U.S. TODAY that the allegation is ‘false and that there was no incident’.
“We do not have a principal with this name,” she wrote.
Fact check: Image of mother and child before the Holocaust is from the television series from the 1980s
According to Snopes, America’s Last Line of Defense, part of a fake news network, shared the meme to Facebook several years ago. The post has since been removed, but the meme is still spreading as a source of disinformation.
America’s Last Line of Defense did not immediately respond to US TODAY’s comments.
Photo is a stock image
The image does not depict a principal, but rather from a stock image website. In fact, the watermark of Alamy, a stock website, is visible in the meme.
“Smiling young Muslim female entrepreneur with a hijab sitting in her home office and working online with a laptop,” Alamy describes the image online.
Fact check: No, Alexander Hamilton did not tell Thomas Jefferson he wanted to hit him with a chair
The same stock image appears on iStock Photo, Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, 123RF and Dreamstime.
Other images of the same woman can be purchased on those sites.
Our rating: false
There is no evidence to support the allegation that a Richmond, Virginia principal suspended two students for wearing cross ties. Richmond Public Schools confirmed that such an incident did not occur. A viral meme spreading this allegation uses a stock image and lyrics from a Michael Jackson song. We consider this claim to be FALSE because it is not supported by our research.
Our sources for fact checking:
- PoltiiFact, February 6, 2019, “No, a principal in Virginia did not suspend students for wearing a crucifix”
- Genius, Visited April 8, “Wanna Be Startin ‘Somethin'”
- Richmond Public Schools, visits April 8, looking for “Mamasai Mamakusa”
- USA TODAY, April 7, Email Danielle Pierce, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations, Richmond Public Schools
- Snopes, July 31, 2018, “Did Principal Mamasai Mamakusa expel two children for wearing cross ties?”
- Alamy, January 8, 2018, image
- iStock, 22 April 2018, image
- Shutterstock images, accessed April 8, image
- 123RF, accessed 8 April, image
- Dreamstime, accessed April 8, image
- Alamy, January 8, 2018, image
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Our fact-checking work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.