South Carolina school employee fired after saying protesters should ‘go back to Africa’
School district is now looking to hire a diversity officer to ensure that employees are trained in cultural competency
A Charleston County School District employee was fired after making racist remarks about the Black Lives Matter movement on social media.
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A Charleston County School District employee was fired after making racist remarks about the Black Lives Matter movement on social media.
“Well, I personally think if they don’t like it here in America, give them a ticket back to Africa and see how they like living there!!!!” The post read, “I am so sick of all this BLM!!”
READ MORE: Philadelphia court supervisor fired for saying Black lives don’t matter
The comment was made in response to a post about South Carolina State Rep. JA Moore urging for the removal of a statue of John C. Calhoun. Calhoun was a slave owner and U.S. Vice President in the 1800s.
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The employee was not a teacher but worked with children at Ladson Elementary school. The executive director of the school district, Michelle Simmons, said that the comments are contrary to what the Charleston County School District believes in.
“We are extremely disappointed with the former employee’s offensive and unacceptable message,” a statement read, “and we think that our swift action this morning conveys our commitment to the District’s values and principles.”
“Ladson Elementary is a diverse school, and we value that diversity,” Simmons said. “We want to assure you that when you send your students and your boys and girls, the adults whose charge they’re under will do everything in their power to make sure they’re cared for, they’re taught, they’re loved, and they’re respected at all costs.”
The district is looking to hire a diversity officer to ensure that all 6,000 employees are trained in cultural competency.
School Board member, Kevin Hollinshead, told a local news outlet that he intends to push for more understanding Black and Latino history. “We have really turned a blind eye to things that really matter to our community as a whole,” he said, “That’s why you have this big explosion right now throughout the country because we kept pushing things under the rug.”
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