Schools
Hoover High School Teacher Resigns After Racial Slur
A Hoover High School teacher who uttered a racial slur in the classroom has officially resigned from the school system.
HOOVER, AL - A Hoover High School teacher who had been placed under administrative leave after using a racial slur in her classroom has now resigned. Teddi Butcher, who had been employed by the Hoover school system for 11 years, had her resignation accepted by the school board at a special meeting Thursday morning.
According to a report by the Hoover Sun, Superintendent Kathy Murphy met today with a handful of students who were in the classroom Friday when Butcher told them to “turn the n----- music off” when she found them playing hip hop music.
Butcher reportedly apologized, but some parents were not satisfied with the apology and demanded that Butcher be fired. Butcher was placed on paid administrative leave this week while Murphy investigated the matter.
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“This has been a very difficult and trying situation, not just for Hoover High School, but for our entire school district and for our city,” Murphy said at Thursday's meeting. “We are disappointed we had a teacher who has chosen to use a most inappropriate word.”
Butcher claimed the song the students were playing, "Dear Mama," by Tupac Shakur, has that same offensive word in the song, but a transcript of the lyrics to the song reveal that no such word was used.
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“I think we all need to be reminded that words matter — that every word matters, and those words matter whether they’re coming out of the mouths of adults to children, from children to adults, from children to children or adult to adult,” the superintendent said. “The choices of our words make a significant difference. I absolutely under no circumstances will support any inappropriate racial slurs. It’s not something that we’re willing to tolerate. It’s hurtful to children. It’s an embarrassment to us, and it’s something I will not stand for.”
Allegations of a cover-up were brought forth by parents and concerned members of the community, but those allegations have been refuted by the board.
Read the full story in The Hoover Sun.
Photo from Hoover High School
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