Park Hill High School staff member placed on leave for repeating racist language
A Park Hill High School staff member has been placed on administrative leave for repeating racist language spoken by a student.
The school is investigating the matter, according to a letter Principal Brad Kincheloe sent to families.
The staff member at the high school has not been identified by name and it’s unclear if they are a teacher.
“A student used racist, inappropriate language, and then a staff member repeated the same racist, inappropriate language in questioning the student,” the letter said. “The staff member is on leave as we investigate, and we are following our policies in handling this staff issue and the student’s discipline.”
Kincheloe said the school is providing counseling to students and staff.
Several Kansas City area educators have been disciplined for using racist language in recent months.
In July, Harrisonville school officials fired a high school science teacher for making racist comments in a classroom.
In September, a Raytown High School teacher used the n-Word in front of students, leading to an investigation.
This is at least the second racially charged incident in the Park Hill School District this school year.
Students at Park Hill South High School circulated a “Start slavery again” petition in September.
The petition, created on Change.org and widely shared over social media, was met with swift condemnation from school officials and parents after its existence became widely known. It also received attention from news media across the nation.
In response, the district suspended three students for 180 days and expelled another. The three were allowed to continue studies remotely.
But the parents of the four punished students believed the school district’s response was too severe. A federal lawsuit was filed against Park Hill in the Western District of Missouri in November, alleging the students’ constitutional rights to free speech and due process were violated.
On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled against the students who sought an overturning of their punishment.
This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 9:58 AM.
