LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – A substitute teacher in Kansas was dismissed from class after making a racist remark toward a student.
“I got a call from the principal, saying that he needed to tell me that there was a teacher that was removed from the school for using racial derogatory remarks with my daughter,” mother Jameila told WDAF.
What the teacher said to her daughter left Jameila at a loss for words.
“She looked at her and she said, ‘Don’t give me your ugly black girl face,'” she said.
It’s a remark the Leavenworth mom said was made loudly, twice, in front of the entire class.
“She was humiliated by a staff member, someone that`s supposed to protect your kid when we as parents are not there,” Jameila said.
In a statement emailed to WDAF, a Leavenworth School District representative said the principal interviewed the student, took a report and removed the substitute teacher from the school within 20 minutes of this happening.
But Jameila said it’s not the first time an incident like this has happened within the district.
“There’s been ongoing problems with the staff being bullies at the school,” she said.
The Leavenworth mom worked for the school district as a before- and after-school site coordinator and most recently as a paraprofessional. Jameila recalls a recent Halloween party in which a student was permitted to wear a costume resembling a white hood worn by members of the KKK.
“I think we need to take a look at the leadership there and all of the staff and substitutes need to be retrained and learn how to talk to children and remain professional,” Jameila said.
Going forward Jameila said she would like to see more diversity on the Leavenworth School District staff and a zero-tolerance policy for racism.