The awakened fourth-grade teacher may retain her job after a school district inquiry found no “policy or legal infractions.”
She had claimed on social media that her classroom was “designed for non-white pupils.”
Since she released a video of herself discussing her new position at William Penn Elementary School in Mill Creek, Utah, in August, the teacher, who has not been identified, has been suspended.
She posted on social media that she was “teaching in a majority-white school for the first time in my life” and that she was “curious to see how children and parents respond to my classroom or if they even notice anything about it because it’s created for non-white pupils.”
“You’ll notice there are no white kids depicted if you look around and engage with any of the stuff I have.”
The administrator of the school, Dr. Nichole Higgins, referred to the teacher’s comments as “extremely worrisome” after the message went viral and said that “it is wrong for any staff to make children feel unwanted in any manner, shape, or form.”
Additionally, parents were incensed by the social media post.
“When educated white folks become racist.” She shouldn’t even be permitted to teach in a school within 500 [yards] of one. Wow. Brock Fetter posted on the Granite School District Parents Facebook page, “Sick of these fools.
Despite administrators’ promises to look into the matter, on September 23 they concluded there was no proof of “any policy or legal infractions” or “instances of discrimination of any type inside the employee’s classroom or pupils,” according to ABC 4 News in Salt Lake City.
Representatives from the district informed the TV news station that “workers on their own time and in their personal life have the right to free expression.”
The teacher will probably be moved to another school in the district; she has not been identified because of threats made against her due to the Twitter message.
A lady who was identified as the instructor was contacted by MailOnline, however a request for comment was not promptly fulfilled.
Granite School District officials said they had “punished the employee as appropriate and commensurate with the results of the inquiry” despite finding no misconduct.
They also exchanged a letter of apologies from the teacher:
“I deeply apologise for the inconvenience this has caused the school, administration, community, families, and, most importantly, my pupils. Respect, responsibility, and safety are expected in my class. I designed my classroom to be inclusive of all students and their families, the teacher wrote.
‘I work to create a welcoming atmosphere and to assure the safety and comfort of all my pupils. I have and will continue to make sure that every kid feels represented and at home in my classroom.
“I also want to emphasise the value of family engagement and encourage their participation in their children’s education. To guarantee my kids’ success, I’m dedicated to using the curriculum, standards, and resources that have been authorised by the district and the state.
The Granite School District’s non-discrimination policy, which is available online, forbids discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on the basis of any legally protected characteristic, including race, colour, sex, pregnancy, pregnancy, pregnancy, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other.