A Las Vegas substitute teacher has been fired after allegedly writing the N-word on a Silvestri Junior High School classroom whiteboard.
After a photograph of the board was shared on social media, the district swiftly determined the individual is no longer employable.
Students from Charles Silvestri Junior High School alerted their Principal Yvette Tippetts and other administrators about one of her staffers being at the center of the racially volatile tweet. The unidentified male teacher was seen speaking to students with the word on the whiteboard, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The picture was posted on the No Racism in Schools #1865 page.
Akiko Cooks, the co-founder of the organization that operates the page, said in an interview with local station Fox 5 she “wasn’t surprised” to see the picture.
“Him being so comfortable and emboldened to actually write that on a whiteboard for students to see it sends a very direct message that it is actually OK for students to be derogatory and racially insensitive,” Cooks said.
“Had those students not taken a picture,” she asked, “would their voice actually had been heard?”
By Tuesday, April 11, Tippetts released a statement to parents, informing them that the school’s administration has launched an investigation into an issue that “involved communication that contained racial implications.”
“The administration will continue to communicate with you about these situations because it will take the entire Silvestri Junior High School community to condemn these actions collectively,” the principal promised.
“I assure you that appropriate action will be taken against those responsible based on the outcome of the investigation,” the statement continued. “Additionally, I would like you to know that this will not be tolerated at our school or within the school district.”
“We will not tolerate behaviors that contradict an inclusive community and impact the needs of our students,” Tippetts wrote.
The Clark County School District punctuated Tippetts’ statements with swift and permanent action.
Lisa Guzman, one of the Clark County School Board Trustees, tweeted, “The district has removed this individual. They will no longer be able to substitute at any school in the Clark County School District. I want to commend the students that turned in this horrific act. It allowed the district to move swiftly. #Trusteelife”
Parents celebrated the district for taking the incident seriously.
“As a parent of a Silvestri kiddo, I’m glad this was taken seriously and there were immediate consequences for this individual who has no place in a classroom with our kids.” Somer Rodgers tweeted. “Proud of the kiddos who spoke up!
Cooks believe the students also are owed an apology.
“Those students deserve an apology… I think that it is important that the community hear it from the district that we will not tolerate this in our schools,” Cooks added.
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