Latest news with #racialslur
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Parents Outraged to Discover a Shocking Racial Slur Printed in Their Kids' Elementary School Yearbook: ‘Deeply Hurtful'
Parents and students at an elementary school in California discovered a racial slur printed in the school's yearbook Montclair Elementary School's PTA president said the slur was mistakenly included in a historical article used in the yearbook The slur also included a reference to an offensive and racist game played at the school in past decadesRelatives of students at an elementary school in California were outraged to discover a racial slur in the school's yearbook. The incident occurred at Montclair Elementary School in Oakland, Calif. According to ABC 7, the yearbook is curated by parent volunteers, and this year's book contained a section commemorating the school's 100th anniversary. The section in question contained a number of historical articles about the school — one of which was a piece from 1940 about a school carnival that contained the N-word. "Boy and Girl Scouts will have charge of booths and many attractions such as n----- babies,' the article read, per ABC 7. The outlet was able to locate an original photo of one such booth from the era, which entailed White contestants throwing objects at the head of a Black boy for prizes. In a statement to PEOPLE, John Sasaki, the Director of Communications for the Oakland Unified School District, said, "The entire Montclair School community and Oakland Unified School District are shocked and disgusted by what made it into the yearbook." He continued, "The end of the school year is a joyful time when all school communities should be celebrating accomplishments and new beginnings, not facing a horrific example of our collective history." According to Sasaki, Montclair Elementary School and the PTA have "offered full refunds for the yearbook, offered a sticker that families can use to cover the article and suggested families can remove the page entirely, if they so choose." To prevent the issue from happening again in the future, the director told PEOPLE that "the entire PTA yearbook committee has resigned, and the PTA Historian, who was the yearbook proofreader, is also leaving their role on the PTA. They explained that they included the article without fully reading it, which is how the problem was missed." Saskai added that the district "is currently working to put in place district-wide protocols for yearbooks and other school / PTA / volunteer publications to ensure there are enough (and the correct) eyes on them before they get printed and distributed, to prevent this kind of thing from happening at any school in the future." "The PTA has also ordered a reprint of all the yearbooks," per Saskai. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I was mad. I was very upset," Natalie Golden, an aunt of one of the school's students, told ABC 7 of the ordeal. 'I was like, 'What the hell is this?' ' Brenda Mitchell, a grandmother of a student, added. 'This is 2025, [not the] 1900s … Why would you bring that out? Why would you even put that in there? It was very inappropriate. Very inappropriate." The school's principal, David Kloker, sent an email out to school community members in which he apologized for the incident, calling it "deeply hurtful and entirely unacceptable,' per ABC 7. Sloane Young, the school's PTA president, told ABC that the school would be leading a 'restorative justice circle' in which members of the community can voice how 'this event made them feel.' While speaking to KTVU, Young explained how the error was made, stating that the volunteers who assembled the yearbook did not read the article in its entirety. "Unfortunately, they skimmed the first paragraph of that article, and scanned it into the software we use for the yearbook," she said "I have a very bold, outspoken 8-year-old, and when she saw it, she said, 'Mom, why did you allow this to go in the yearbook when you're Black?' ' she added. "Our community is hurting, our community is angry." Young, who has accepted full responsibility for the mistake occurring under her leadership, also told KTVU that educational resources have been offered to parents in order to help them navigate conversations about the incident with their children. Read the original article on People
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
Hampshire Constabulary police officer reinstated after using racial slur
A police officer recently reinstated to his role after he was sacked last year was fired because he used a racial slur to refer to a black Thrumble used it in a WhatsApp conversation while working as volunteer special constable for Dorset Police in February later joined Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and was sacked by that force after the content of his messages was revealed and found to be he appealed and he was given back his job as a police constable in April after the Police Appeals Tribunal downgraded a previous gross misconduct finding to misconduct. Warning: This article contains content that some readers may find upsetting and offensive Documents show that in a WhatsApp conversation with two other special constables, Mr Thrumble shared a picture of a black woman who had liked his profile on the Tinder dating said she was "too black for me" and added: "If I wanted some hot chocolate in my life I would go to Costa."The three-person tribunal that reinstated Mr Thrumble included Cdr Katie Lilburn, the head of the Metropolitan Police's professional standards said the previous panel last year was "entitled to conclude" that Mr Thrumble's language was discriminatory and reference to the woman's colour "amounted to her being treated unfairly owing to the membership of her ethnic group".But it said it was not serious enough to warrant a finding of gross misconduct and that it was rather "a lapse of judgement by a young special constable".It said positive references from other police officers showed that "this behaviour does not and will not be found in his dealings with colleagues or members of the public in the future". Mr Thrumble, the tribunal was told, "still remains absolutely devastated" by his behaviour and "feels sick to the core" about tribunal ordered that he be paid retrospectively by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary from when he was sacked until his added that "if a member of the public, of any gender or ethnicity, were to know the full facts of this case, which include how [Mr Thrumble] has consistently dealt with public-facing duties through his career, they would not be put off speaking to or having their matter dealt with by [him]".When he was sacked, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary's Deputy Chief Constable Sam de Reya said the "use of discriminatory language is utterly at odds with the values the public are rightly entitled to expect from police".The force has been approached for comment. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
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.' Inmate rights groups demand say in Stillwater prison closure plan Pioneer Press 2025 patio guide: Wring every second out of summer at these 100+ Twin Cities spots Pioneer Press 2025 patio guide: Along the water and scenic spots Truck driver tells trooper he was distracted by map before Washington County fatal crash Woodbury officials seek info on rug connected to house fire
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Couple set to go on trial over staged cross burning in front of campaign sign for Black candidate
DENVER (AP) — In the run-up to the 2023 mayoral election in Colorado Springs, a racial slur was scrawled across a Black candidate's sign and a cross set on fire in front of it. It was a stunt to generate sympathy and support for the Black candidate, Yemi Mobolade, prosecutors have said, but two people accused of staging it are set to go on trial Monday, charged with making a threat against him. Mobolade, the city's first Black mayor, is scheduled to testify in the case as a victim, according to court documents. But one of the defendants claims Mobolade himself was a participant in the plan to help him win. And the defendant's attorneys say their alleged actions were political theater — free speech that is constitutionally protected and wasn't meant to cause harm. "This was a hoax in every sense of the word,' defendant Ashley Blackcloud told The Associated Press. She said Mobolade knew in advance about their plans to burn the cross, but she would not comment further, citing a court order that bars discussing information gathered in the case before the trial. Blackcloud, who is indigenous and Black, said the stunt was not intended to hurt anyone. Mobolade has previously denied any involvement emphatically. A city spokesperson, Vanessa Zink, said the mayor did not want to want to make any additional comment. The second defendant — Blackcloud's husband, Derrick Bernard — is serving a life sentence after being convicted last year of ordering the killing of a rapper in Colorado Springs. The man charged with carrying out the killing was recently acquitted, and Bernard is appealing his conviction. Messages left for Blackcloud's lawyer and Bernard's lawyer were not returned. However, in motions to dismiss the case they pointed out that the cross was set on fire in the middle of the night, which no one other than the defendants apparently saw. They are, however, accused of spreading word about it in emails to the media and others that include images of the scene. They are each charged with using a means of interstate commerce — the internet and email — to make a threat and conveying false information about an attempt to intimidate Mobolade with a fire. They are also both charged with being part of a conspiracy to do that. They have pleaded not guilty. According to jury instructions in the case, prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Bernard and Blackcloud intended Mobolade to fear that violence would result in order for them to be found guilty. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez ruled that the alleged actions are not ones that are clearly protected by the First Amendment, which would have required her to dismiss the case. 'It is up to the jury to determine whether the cross burning was a true threat or merely political speech,' she wrote. A third person indicted in the alleged scheme, Deanna West, pleaded guilty in March to one count of being part of a conspiracy to set the fire and then spread false information about it, under a plea agreement with prosecutors. According to that agreement, West's lawyer and government prosecutors agreed that the conspiracy's goal was to interfere in the campaign of Mobolade's opponent and create the belief that Mobolade was being discouraged from running because of his race. West is also scheduled to testify for the government. According to the indictment, Bernard communicated with Mobolade before the cross burning on April 23, 2023, and after Mobolade won election in a May 6, 2023, runoff. About a week before the cross burning, Bernard told the then-candidate in a Facebook message that he was 'mobilizing my squadron in defense and for the final push. Black ops style big brother. The klan cannot be allowed to run this city again.' They spoke for about five minutes on the telephone three days after the incident. In a video statement posted on social media in December, Mobolade said he had fully cooperated with the investigation and had been truthful with law enforcement. 'I fully and truthfully cooperated throughout this investigation. I had no knowledge, warning or involvement in this crime,' he said. The U.S. Attorney's Office for Colorado, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment on whether it had questioned or investigated Mobolade about whether he was involved in the cross burning.
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Couple set to go on trial over staged cross burning in front of campaign sign for Black candidate
In the run-up to the 2023 mayoral election in Colorado Springs, a racial slur was scrawled across a Black candidate's sign and a cross set on fire in front of it. It was a stunt to generate sympathy and support for the Black candidate, Yemi Mobolade, prosecutors have said, but two people accused of staging it are set to go on trial Monday, charged with making a threat against him. Mobolade, the city's first Black mayor, is scheduled to testify in the case as a victim, according to court documents. But one of the defendants claims Mobolade himself was a participant in the plan to help him win. And the defendant's attorneys say their alleged actions were political theater — free speech that is constitutionally protected and wasn't meant to cause harm. "This was a hoax in every sense of the word,' defendant Ashley Blackcloud told The Associated Press. She said Mobolade knew in advance about their plans to burn the cross, but she would not comment further, citing a court order that bars discussing information gathered in the case before the trial. Blackcloud, who is indigenous and Black, said the stunt was not intended to hurt anyone. Mobolade has previously denied any involvement emphatically. A city spokesperson, Vanessa Zink, said the mayor did not want to want to make any additional comment. The second defendant — Blackcloud's husband, Derrick Bernard — is serving a life sentence after being convicted last year of ordering the killing of a rapper in Colorado Springs. The man charged with carrying out the killing was recently acquitted, and Bernard is appealing his conviction. Messages left for Blackcloud's lawyer and Bernard's lawyer were not returned. However, in motions to dismiss the case they pointed out that the cross was set on fire in the middle of the night, which no one other than the defendants apparently saw. They are, however, accused of spreading word about it in emails to the media and others that include images of the scene. They are each charged with using a means of interstate commerce — the internet and email — to make a threat and conveying false information about an attempt to intimidate Mobolade with a fire. They are also both charged with being part of a conspiracy to do that. They have pleaded not guilty. According to jury instructions in the case, prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Bernard and Blackcloud intended Mobolade to fear that violence would result in order for them to be found guilty. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez ruled that the alleged actions are not ones that are clearly protected by the First Amendment, which would have required her to dismiss the case. 'It is up to the jury to determine whether the cross burning was a true threat or merely political speech,' she wrote. A third person indicted in the alleged scheme, Deanna West, pleaded guilty in March to one count of being part of a conspiracy to set the fire and then spread false information about it, under a plea agreement with prosecutors. According to that agreement, West's lawyer and government prosecutors agreed that the conspiracy's goal was to interfere in the campaign of Mobolade's opponent and create the belief that Mobolade was being discouraged from running because of his race. West is also scheduled to testify for the government. According to the indictment, Bernard communicated with Mobolade before the cross burning on April 23, 2023, and after Mobolade won election in a May 6, 2023, runoff. About a week before the cross burning, Bernard told the then-candidate in a Facebook message that he was 'mobilizing my squadron in defense and for the final push. Black ops style big brother. The klan cannot be allowed to run this city again.' They spoke for about five minutes on the telephone three days after the incident. In a video statement posted on social media in December, Mobolade said he had fully cooperated with the investigation and had been truthful with law enforcement. 'I fully and truthfully cooperated throughout this investigation. I had no knowledge, warning or involvement in this crime,' he said. The U.S. Attorney's Office for Colorado, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment on whether it had questioned or investigated Mobolade about whether he was involved in the cross burning.
