Lee’s Summit R-7 School District Board (LSR-7) in Missouri has decided that a teacher who quoted a racial slur during a disciplinary process uttered by a student will keep his job. The School District’s superintendent had recommended that the teacher, who has been on the job for almost 30 years, be fired.
The Lee’s Summit School Board voted 5-2 in favor of not firing one of its teachers, Joe Oswald, for twice quoting a racial slur uttered by a student as part of the student’s school disciplinary hearing, according to a report by KMBC-TV.
The controversy stemmed from a May 6 incident in which Oswald and another teacher overheard a student say a racial slur.
Oswald then wrote down what the student said and took the student to the principal’s office, where he read the slur aloud for accuracy, which is the school district’s protocol.
More than 125 people rallied outside the school board meeting this week in support of Oswald, and nearly 2,000 people signed an online petition calling on the board to let the teacher keep his job, the report adds.
“He did not say it in the context that you and I talk about saying the (slur),” one of Oswald’s supporters told KMBC-TV.
Supporters added they were angry over Superintendent David Buck recommending that Oswald — a teacher with nearly 30 years of experience — be fired.
Meanwhile, the school’s human resources director reportedly reacted to the situation by suggesting that Oswald undergo training.
In addition to announcing that Oswald will keep his job, the school district also said a “review of policy and procedures will be conducted as part of an after action evaluation process related to this investigation.”