Yearbooks released this week at the University of Central Arkansas have been recalled after a number of officials and students denounced language viewed as offensive toward blacks.
Two photo captions were called into question, including one that described a group of black students in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority performing in a university step show as having "thug faces."
UCA spokesman Christina Madsen said by phone Friday that the decision to recall the books was made by The Scroll and not by university leadership.
“We don’t censor,” Madsen said of material published in the university’s student publications.
Scroll staff issued an apology Thursday on Facebook, stating that steps are being taken "to assure such errors aren't made again." Another statement from yearbook staff was sent out to the entire student body Friday morning.
"After discussing the issue with individuals who voiced concerns about the use of this term, we understand that the word used in this context is highly offensive to many," Thursday's statement read in part.
Brittany Turner, a graduating senior and member of UCA's historically black Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, said another yearbook photo caption was "totally out of line" when referring to Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity's "Black Lives Matter" step routine as promoting "all lives matter."
"As an African-American I am hurt because I've never had a race issue really at UCA," she said, calling the caption an "outright lie."
This spring, 2,200 yearbooks had been published for the UCA community, Madsen said. She added that the number of books distributed before the recall was not known.
As of Friday, the yearbooks have been removed from circulation, and students who received a copy will be able to return them through April 29. A shipment of corrected yearbooks is expected to arrive by that date, according to Friday's statement from yearbook staff.
Among those criticizing the language in the student-produced yearbook was President Tom Courtway, who released a statement through university social media Thursday afternoon.
“The words we use matter. In my opinion, there are two captions in The Scroll that I find offensive and inappropriate as they relate to our African-American students and friends,” Courtway said. “Offensive, inappropriate or derogatory terms against a race, group or an individual are not acceptable.”
A launch party for the 2016 Scroll yearbook planned for Friday night has been canceled.