A Texas mom has filed a complaint with the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District after she became aware of an insensitive racial comment made by her daughter’s teacher.
Tasha Fennell said her daughter Azariah, the sole Black student in the class, heard her classmate at Doris Miller Jr. High School use a racial slur back in December, and that the teacher responded without discouraging the use of the word.
According to Fennell’s formal complaint: A male student interrupted the class by opening the door and saying, “What’s up my n—a?’” A male student in the classroom responds with, “Hey what’s up.” Azariah is sitting in the back talking to H.H., a female student. A male student said, “Dude, you can’t say that word,” while the class was still riled up from the classroom interruption.
The teacher then stated, “If Black people can say it then white people can say it, too.”
At a San Marcos CISD school board meeting on Monday night, Fennell addressed issues of diversity and inclusion at the school, KXAN reported.
“I just don’t feel like it was her place to make the decision to say that in front of impressionable kids,” Fennell said.
“How it makes me feel, I don’t want someone else to go through the feeling that I had to go through,” said Azariah, who had cried at school Monday, March 8, when speaking about the incident.
“It really does hurt that someone would even say that, especially a teacher because a teacher is usually someone you can go to.”
Fennell filed the complaint in early January and has also submitted two grievances to the district. She has been communicating with the district for weeks and requested an apology and unconscious bias or cultural responsive training.
The district apologized and agreed to provide more training for staff.
In response to the Level 1 Grievance, the district said that the incident will be used as a “teachable moment.” The statement also noted that Azariah was discussing the Black Lives Matter movement with her friends when the comment was made and that the principal would pull Azariah out of class during the day to discuss how the incident made her feel.
According to the district, the superintendent also has asked Azariah to join a leadership council that meets each month to discuss concerns.
Fennell has been asked to be part of a diversity council set to launch in August.
Fennell said the district had challenged whether Azariah’s story about the classroom incident was true, but she affirmed her daughter’s experience.
“My biggest concern is that my daughter has a voice,” Fennell said. “Azariah said what she said and this is how she felt.”
An investigation into the incident is ongoing. The district is also surveying students to address concerns, but does not yet have the results of the survey.
“At this point we’re just looking for respect, acknowledgement and the uncomfortable conversations to be had,” Fennell said.