Local teacher speaks out on alleged racial slurs; MS principal suspended
Nov. 9—SOUTH POINT — A teacher in the South Point Local School District claims her son is a victim of "racial antics."
Deidra Hughes, a South Point High School educator, said her son and two of his "white" friends reported racial discrimination to their parents, football coach and herself in August. Hughes said she and the coach then reported it to Sara Coleman, South Point Middle School's principal.
Hughes said Coleman tried to cover it up by not reporting all of the information and "intimidated" the kids who reported the situation by questioning them in a group with the accused student present and her son absent.
In a 4-1 vote, the South Point school board voted to suspend Coleman five days with pay for lacking answers in testimony to the South Point Board of Education and a third-party investigator.
According to records obtained from the South Point BOE, "Coleman was not forthcoming with the board" when she met to explain the process she followed in responding to a student complaint of harassment, and was not "forthcoming in explaining her actions to the third-party investigator."
During Coleman's suspension from Nov. 8 through Nov. 14, Coleman will report to the board office to review board polices and procedures. Following the period of suspension, she is directed to complete professional development on the board's anti-harassment policies and procedures.
When Coleman began serving her suspension on Wednesday, approximately 20 middle school educators called off, according to South Point Superintendent Sam Gue. It prompted a number of students to sit in the gymnasium and cafeteria with no instruction for the school day.
Daniel Bennett, South Point Middle School's Assistant Principal, told The Daily Independent that the middle school was fully staffed Thursday.
Hughes said her family sat down in a meeting with the accused child and his family, where the father denied allegations and said people were lying about his son.
Hughes claims that the incident happened over a span of time during football practice. She said the accused male student made a comment about not passing the ball to her son because he is Black.
She added that the child called her son a racial slur behind his back to his friends, which got back to her son.
Hughes said all of this has been months in the making, with two outside investigations.
"I've been quiet the past three months. I wholeheartedly was not trying to drag this woman," Hughes said. "I didn't want anyone taking her job; I just wanted my kid to get an apology."
She said the following in a Facebook post: "The first one I shut down per request of my son. He and his friends didn't want to go through questioning and interrogation anymore."
"We wanted someone to acknowledge the kids for having some decency and restore their confidence in reporting things when they happen," she added.
Gue said the following regarding the alleged racial slurs: "The district has policies that prohibit discrimination and we consistently enforce those policies."
(606) 326-2657 — ajohnson@dailyindependent.com
