Cincinnati News, FOX19-WXIX TV
A teacher from Holmes High School in northern Kentucky was suspended for one day after allegedly referring to a student as a “porch monkey”.
High school teacher Jacqueline Dowling, was speaking to another staff member when a student overheard her saying she’d “wished (student) would stop acting like a ‘porch monkey'” according to the Employee Reprimand report from the school.
The report also mentions that Dowling thought the term meant “lazy” and noticed the word was extremely offensive when the student who overheard the conversation between Dowling and the faculty member became upset. However, the high school teacher apologized to the male student and his mother for the indiscretion. The reprimand report states the mother would like “no further action be taken” and that she accepts Dowling’s apology.
Tri-state community leader Bishop Bobby Hilton told Fox 19 NOW the racial remark made by the high school teacher was vastly insulting.
“To call someone by that term is a racist attack… Usually, individuals would do that to call an African American lazy … it is very offensive. To call someone any type of monkey is offensive.”
Covington Independent Public Schools suspended Dowling for only one day without pay and mandated that she complete the Safe Schools Training Diversity Awareness Staff-to-Student course.
The ordeal has since been reported to the Educational Professional Standards Board. No other comments have been made by the school board according to Fox 19.
