The Racism I Witnessed As A School Principal
Some teachers are racist and get away with it
Introduction
I was beyond horrified when I heard it. The teacher who called a Black student a racial slur in front of their entire class did not know that I was making a formal observation in a classroom next to the hall where they and their students took a restroom break.
When the teacher made the racially charged comment to the student with melanin-rich skin, the child was dancing in line with their peers and chuckled because they had never heard the word before. Most of the younger students who were predominantly Black who were standing near the teacher also laughed because, just as the student who was called the insulting name had never heard the derogatory term, they hadn’t either. I immediately stepped into the hall and made sustained eye contact with the teacher. I needed to let them know that I heard them call the Black student a
“jigaboo”.
As a school leader, I was forbidden to reprimand a teacher in front of their students. I regret that I did not do so. I regret that I did not have an immediate Black history lesson with the students who witnessed the incident to let them know how derogatory the name was. I regret that I did not inform every parent in that classroom what happened. Instead, I followed the protocols prescribed by that racist organization when handling an incident that could lead to the disciplinary action of a teacher. In doing so, absolutely nothing happened.
What I heard and the lack of response to the incident in the events that followed prove that racism prevails in some schools in the United States. And, racism continues to win.
The Incident Was Swept Away
As the principal of the school, I was determined to take appropriate action against the racist teacher for calling the Black student jigaboo. I took the following steps.
- I made an immediate call to the parent of the child and reported everything that happened. In doing so, I assured the parent that the conduct of the teacher would not be tolerated and would be appropriately addressed. Since the student and their family were immigrants from a predominantly Black nation, cultural barriers prevented the parent from fully understanding what happened to their child. Additionally, the parent held the teacher in such high regard as her culture taught her to that it was difficult for them to comprehend that an educator hurled a racial insult at her child. The parent was invited to take additional actions against the teacher but opted not to because they trusted I would deal with it appropriately.
- Soon after the incident I privately met with the student who was called a jigaboo by the teacher to help them understand what the teacher did. Time was spent building the child’s self-image and assuring them the teacher would never call any other student a name as they were called.
- Immediate communications were made to the superintendent. After reaching out for days as multiple attempts were made, my pleas for backing in this matter were ignored. (It was as though I was an invisible entity and the incident did not exist. Invisibility is an indicator of systemic racism.)
- I followed all of the mandates related to the Collective Bargaining Unit of the teacher and the school district policies for imposing disciplinary sanctions against the educator. Sadly, I was met with the highest level of resistance. The well-educated, well-read teacher used the defense that they did not know what the derogatory racial insult meant. Sadly, multiple meetings and communications with union officials were useless because I was told that their purpose was to protect the teacher. They did just that. The union protected the teacher from any consequence associated with calling the young Black student a jigaboo.
- Upper administration refused to work with me to hold the racist teacher accountable for calling a Black student the racist name. After working tirelessly for the sake of accountability, the case was ultimately closed. The teacher continued teaching students without receiving any disciplinary consequence or reprimand being imposed against them for their heinous racially charged words that they dared to utter to a young Black student.
For people who believe that a principal of a school has the power to correct and hold teachers accountable for unprofessional and inappropriate behavior, in most instances, that is not the case. Several teachers are so protected by their union that they get away with just about anything that is classified as wrong. Additionally, district leaders who are so consumed with wanting to keep peace with the union allow derogatory things to happen without holding professional offenders accountable.
That unresolved incident caused me to lose respect for the organization that I diligently worked for as well as the teacher and all others associated with this case who did nothing but swept the incident away. In their eyes, it never existed.
My Regret: This Is What I Should Have Done
“When you see something, say something.”
While that quote is so popular today, the reality is that saying something probably will not be enough. It is important to be relentless as you speak out loudly and boldly.
However, there is a caution in doing so. Taking a stand against pervasive racism within an organization will likely cost you a lot. You will pay a price that is likely to include lost opportunities for advancement, being blacklisted and suppressed, and even getting terminated.
I had enough of the racism that I witnessed against students, parents, and educators including myself while working in that organization. That situation with the teacher getting away with calling the student a jigaboo was just one example.
Looking back on that incident, my biggest regret was that I did not make the BOLD NOISE that I ultimately made about another racial incident that resulted in me losing my job.
Sometimes it is necessary to disconnect from racist organizations because they will never change.
Conclusion
There comes a time when a person subjected to racial persecution, oppression, and suppression in the workplace must have the courage to speak out against it.
I regret that I followed contractual protocols in the case of the racist teacher who called the Black child a jigaboo. Responding the way an organization filled with pervasive racism expected me to was useless. The teacher became empowered to continue insulting and harming Black students and so did the union that protected their member.
Because there is power in numbers, I should have rallied the students and parents by letting them know what the teacher did. Maybe then would the teacher have received some type of disciplinary consequence. Maybe then would my tenure within that organization would have been terminated instead of living through additional miserable years of racism.
What would you have done if you were in my situation?
Thank you for reading this article. If you appreciated the perspective I provided, you are invited to read the additional stories I published related to racism in education.
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Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is a retired Teacher and School Administrator. Her website is www.Drdeborahmvereen.com and her YouTube Channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS1DPhBeA29UlybU9jzDkdQ
