Raytown School District investigating why students were given worksheet with racial slurs
A few days after a Raytown teacher used the N-word in class, the school district is investigating a second racial incident that took place this week at Raytown High School.
High school students in an English class received a worksheet that’s used to teach “The Laramie Project.”
But the worksheet included the use of racial, homophobic and misogynistic slurs in it.
“Agree or Disagree: It is okay to use derogatory terms such as (n---er, f-g, s--c or h-) as long as you are joking.”
An older version of the worksheet was to be replaced with a new version this school year, and the new worksheet didn’t contain the racial, homophobic and misogynistic slurs.
But the prior worksheets were not removed and it was those documents that were shared with the students, Raytown Superintendent of Schools Allan Markley said in a letter to parents and guardians that was sent out Friday.
“We sincerely apologize to our school community for our oversight,” the letter said. “Per Board policy, we will investigate the issue and allow for students and families to have conversations with school and district staff. We cannot discuss any disciplinary actions resulting from the investigation; we will follow Board policy and take appropriate actions.”
This is the second investigation involving racial slurs that the school district has opened this week.
On Wednesday, Markley said in a letter to parents and guardians that the district was aware of a Raytown High School teacher using the N-word during a discussion with students in class on Wednesday.
He said that the teacher’s actions will be addressed in relation to school-board policy. However, Markley declined to give details in the letter about any disciplinary actions being taken towards the teacher.
“Regardless of the teacher’s intent, we understand the offensive and inappropriate nature of this word,” Markley wrote.
The incident is under investigation by the school district.
And this latest incident is just another in a series of racist incidents reported at Kansas City area schools this year.
On Saturday, The Star reported that the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights informed an area parent that it has opened an investigation into the Kearney School District after that parent filed a complain in May. The parent, Tiffaney Whitt, accused the school district of retaliation and discrimination in her complaint.
Earlier this week, Olathe South High School’s principal reassured parents and students that the school is “thoroughly investigating” a student’s racist homecoming proposal, and the principal vowed to immediately address the incident “in accordance with our Student Code of Conduct.”
Earlier this month, a racist petition calling for a return of slavery was circulated online by students at Park Hill South High School.
