Kansas City area teacher fired for making racist comments plans to appeal, lawyer says
A Harrisonville teacher who was fired Thursday for making racist comments plans to appeal the school board’s decision.
John Magoffin was accused of making several inappropriate and racist comments during three separate school classes.
His attorney Jean Lamfers said Thursday afternoon that Magoffin was disappointed with the board’s decision.
“He presented credible evidence in his favor as to each charge, others substantiated his account, he stands by his testimony,” Lamfers wrote in a statement. “The students’ recollections are not shared by him and were refuted by others.”
Magoffin was placed on administrative leave on April 20 after a student alleged he had used the n-word during a class.
Two separate complaints followed and a public hearing before the school board was held on June 15.
The board voted 4 to 3 in favor of terminating Magoffin. Board members Doug Alexander, Tina Graef, Douglas Meyer and Nancy Shelton voted to end Magoffin’s contract, while Cameron Chenoweth, Bing Schimmelpfenning and Brittney Sexton voted against it.
“The Board concluded that Mr. Magoffin’s use of inappropriate language violated the rules and regulations of the District and was unacceptable conduct for a tenured teacher in the District,” the school district said in a statement Thursday. “We commend the students and parents in bringing forth their concerns to the administration so that this matter could be appropriately addressed.”
Lamfers said termination was “overkill,” and that other teachers have gotten a warning.
“He doesn’t bear ill will to the students who spoke up,” she said in a phone interview. “But he believes that the district failed to handle this appropriately.”
Lamfers added that they did not get the full investigative file and questioned why the district did not call a key witness during the June hearing.
She said she plans on confirming the appropriate venue — likely Cass County Circuit Court — and filing an appeal.
