Unbelievably racist post lands teacher in hot water
Source: dcgazette.com
Vinita Hegwood, an English teacher at Duncanville High School, was suspended without pay Monday pending her discharge after posting a reprehensible message on her personal Twitter account, according to the Duncanville Independent School District.On Friday, Hegwood tweeted the following: “Who the f–k made you dumb duck a– crackers think I give a squat f–k about your opinions about my opinions RE” #Ferguson? Kill yourselves.” The tweet and account were deleted shortly after, but the damage was already done.
The Duncanville independent school district issued this statement:
“As an individual, Ms. Vinita Hegwood expressed an opinion on social media that is solely her own. She used her personal social media account to make remarks that are offensive. While everyone has the right to free speech, as a teacher in the district, we believe the comments that are alleged to be made by Ms. Hegwood are absolutely reprehensible and we do not condone it.”
“Ms. Hegwood was placed on suspension without pay pending discharge,” the school district said during a morning press conference Monday.
From the press release:
“Early this morning district officials met with Ms. Hegwood, the teacher who stated reprehensible personal opinions on her personal social media account. The district took swift action and exercised the fullest disciplinary action allowed under district policy. Ms. Hegwood was placed on suspension without pay pending discharge. Under state law, a school district’s Board of Trustees “fires” staff members, and
the district will pursue that action with the board soon. In the meantime, the teacher has been placed on suspension without pay pending discharge.
The district wants the community to know that the actions of this one individual does not and should not represent the school district. Every day, two hundred and forty Duncanville High School teachers provide a school environment that fosters academic excellence, good citizenship and respect for others. Teachers give their life’s work to shaping the future, and this one individual does not represent our staff or our district.”
In response to the racist tweet, Twitter users circulated the school’s phone number and demanded that the teacher be fired.
When talking about the Michael Brown shooting, Vinita Hegwood is not the only educator who let her emotions overcome her better judgment. In August, an Alabama elementary school instructor was placed on administrative leave following complaints from parents that she had her students recreate the “racially charged” shooting of Michael Brown. She made the white students play the city’s cops, and African-American students portrayed Michael Brown, A school district superintendent confirmed the suspension to The Selma Times-Journal, but would not discuss the matter because it is under investigation.
Source: dcgazette.com
