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SHELTON —The white intermediate school student who spit on a black museum patron during a school trip in Washington, D.C., acted stupidly but not out of racial animus, the school’s principal said.

Shelton Intermediate School Principal Dina Marks, who is on the trip to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, tweeted at 7:42 a.m. to clarify the incident, which led to the student group being removed from the Smithsonian and ultimately a social media firestorm after Superintendent of Schools Chris Clouet posted the details on Facebook.

“The incident at the African American Museum involved a student spitting over a balcony. It allegedly hit a visitor, a person of color,” Marks tweeted. “It was an act of stupidity, disinterest & immaturity, completely inappropriate, but I believe, not racially motivated against that person.”

Clouet said Saturday that he has been in contact with Marks multiple times in the past 24 hours. He added that there are more than 10 chaperones on the trip, saying “I am confident our students are safe.”

“Whether or not yesterday's incident at the Smithsonian African American Museum was ‘horseplay’ or involved overt bias is not clear. Far too often unkind acts in our world are excused because it was ‘only a joke,’” Clouet said in a statement to Hearst Connecticut Media on Saturday afternoon. “The individual who was spit on may not see it as a joke. I suspect it may have been more rude than racist. Not certain how the visitor to the museum on the receiving end of the act would perceive it.

“In any case, it was at minimum an unkind, immature act — cutting short the visit of the other SIS students to what is truly a spectacular museum that captures the oppression and pain African Americans have endured as well as the resilience and joy associated with the vibrant African American culture that is foundational to the United States of America.”

Clouet first informed the school community about this incident in a Facebook post about 7:30 p.m. Friday. “This kind of action is not a reflection of who our students are, or who we are as a community,” Clouet said in the post. “This is not the time or place to talk about consequences. But this is now, regrettably, a pattern of behavior that is disrespectful and does not serve anyone well — including the student who acted inappropriately and embarrassed himself and his school.”

Naugatuck Valley NAACP President Greg Johnson reacted quickly, saying Shelton has a “major problem” and needs to institute a zero tolerance policy with regard to racism immediately.

“You have not been proactive with these situations,” Johnson said in his statement to the Shelton community, “but you react to the children of color who stand up to defend themselves immediately. This stops today, through cooperation or litigation, there will be accountability for the racist, vile environment that you all have allowed.”

Johnson said he was disgusted by the incident at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“Not at the Lincoln or Washington monuments, but where AfricanAmericans are celebrated,” said Johnson. “A total and complete lack of respect, and one of the most degrading acts one can commit against another.”

Clouet said school administrators will “deal with this at school.

“But we need the help and support of families,” said Clouet. “Please speak to your own children in an ageappropriate manner about our expectation of how we treat people — black or white, elder or young, or anyone, a child, or adult, may perceive as being different.

“Shelton schools and the Shelton community can do better. We must,” Clouet said.