Woodbury: East Ridge teacher on leave following report of racial slur
A female teacher at East Ridge High School in Woodbury was placed on administrative leave Thursday after she reportedly repeatedly used a racial slur while talking with students, officials said.
The teacher was 'immediately walked out of the building' after students reported the staff member had used the slur, said Shawn Hogendorf, a spokesman for South Washington County Schools.
The teacher, who was not identified, was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, he said.
In a letter sent to families, Principal Jim Smokrovich wrote that he received a report Thursday morning that the staff member used a racial slur 'while discussing inappropriate comments a student was making toward other students.'
The staff member 'repeated the racial slur multiple times during the conversation,' Smokrovich wrote.
'As soon as we were made aware of this situation, we met with the students who reported what they heard the staff member say, and connected with their families,' he wrote. 'Understandably, the students were upset by the use of the racial slur. We are grateful to the students who were brave enough to bring this forward and to support our East Ridge values.'
Staff are available to meet with students if they are 'in need of additional support to process this incident,' he wrote.
East Ridge 'does not tolerate derogatory, discriminatory or racist language,' he wrote. 'As educators, we must be held to the highest possible standard. I offer my sincere apology for the actions that took place in our school.'
Officials in the school district last fall banned a substitute teacher from its classrooms after he allegedly reenacted George Floyd's murder during classes at Woodbury High School.
Meanwhile, the South Washington County school board on Thursday night voted 5-2 to update the district's racial equity and inclusion policy to remove duplications and clarify definitions and language. Board members Ryan Clarke and Eric Tessner dissented.
The rewritten policy states that district administrators will 'condemn hate speech and expressions of racism, xenophobia, discrimination and ethnic or racial intolerance.'
Hate speech is defined in the policy as speech that either disparages, demeans, targets, 'threatens or harasses a person or group based on protected class status.'
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