The Office creator Greg Daniels has cut a blackface scene from a 2012 episode, calling the racist trope “unacceptable” even when used as satire.

In a statement today, Daniels said, “The Office is about a group of people trying to work together with mutual respect despite the inappropriate actions of their boss and assistant manager. The show employed satire to expose unacceptable behavior and deliver a message of inclusion. Today we cut a shot of an actor wearing blackface that was used to criticize a specific racist European practice. Blackface is unacceptable and making the point so graphically is hurtful and wrong. I am sorry for the pain that caused.”

The deleted 2012 Christmas episode scene involves Rainn Wilson’s Dwight dressing up for a holiday party as Belsnickel, a Pennsylvania Dutch folkloric St. Nicolas-like character. The office mates protest when they learn that Belsnickel is typically accompanied by a blackface sidekick named Zwarte Piet,...