A Central New York school district is working to address an issue that’s made national headlines.

Last week, Spectrum News 1 first reported that a student submitted a design for a made-up product called “Monkey Premium Cereal” to an annual art show.

It featured a picture of Lebron James.

Spectrum News 1 asked New Hartford Central School District Superintendent Cosimo Tangorra how the piece made it on display.

“I don't know if we really ever have the answer to that question. It does point to the larger issue that the work that we've been doing in the district around DEI is far from over. And this is certainly going to play a big part in charting the path forward with the work that needs to be done," he said, referring to diversity, inclusion and equity (DEI).

Tangorra issued a quick response after he became aware of the submission, calling it racist and saying the district needs to do better.

“I want to be as transparent as possible, and I don't want to be perceived as sweeping issues under the rug. When we have an issue, it's our obligation to address them, to share with the community what the issue is and what our steps will be going forward," he said.

Tangorra said details about the student and faculty member involved will remain confidential.

He did, however, weigh in on whether he thought the student was cognizant of the piece’s meaning.

“I cannot believe that this would be intentionally done. But as I've stated in the past, when it comes to this work and the situations like this, our intentions don't really matter,” he said.

Tangorra said the district promotes a welcoming environment for everyone.

For example, they have reviews of practices and the formation of an Educational Equity Committee. But he says more work needs to be done.

“We have to do more work. So we do have a contract with a DEI consultant, and that will expand. But I'm also going to bring other folks into the conversation as a result of this incident. Many community organizations and folks who are engaged in the work locally have reached out to me, and I'm going to have a conversation with each and every person who wants to help us move forward," he said.

Tangorra said there’s been mixed reaction from the community regarding the district's response to this issue.

The superintendent did not get into specifics.

He said procedures will be put in place to make sure this never happens again at their art shows.