ANN ARBOR (WXYZ) — "I was shocked, hurt. We have lived in Ann Arbor and my son has gone to school here all his life. We've not experienced blatant racism," said Brittany, who asked that we not use her last name in hopes of preventing further backlash for her son.
Her 13-year-old son is a seventh grader at Slauson Middle School in Ann Arbor.
On Friday, a substitute teacher allegedly called her son the N-word after he used the word with a classmate.
"The teacher came up to him, asked him to leave the classroom, and, on the way out of their class, she said, 'Why are you using the N-word when you are an N-word?'"
Brittany's son also indicated that the teacher actually said the word and not an abbreviated form of the word.
In the hallway, things spiraled as the teacher is accused of continuing to say the N-word before being asked by another staffer to stop.
The educator is currently employed by the district as a substitute teacher after retiring from her longtime position as a teacher. She's now on administrative leave.
Monday morning, Brittany went to Ann Arbor Police to report the incident as a hate crime. A police spokesperson said they are investigating.
Then another incident took place Monday when a teaching assistant reportedly confronted Brittany's son to deny that the substitute used the racial slur. In Monday's incident, Brittany said the teaching assistant also used the offensive word and not an abbreviated form of it.
"Ann Arbor cannot support these people in their school system, period. If you do, you're tolerating it. And if you say you don't tolerate it, don't tolerate it," said Brittany.
Superintendent Dr. Jeanice Swift released the following statement:
Superintendent In the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS), we stand firm against any and all acts of bias, bigotry and racism.
The Slauson Middle School administrative team received a report regarding the use of the ‘N’ word in a classroom by a student and the subsequent use of the word by a substitute teacher, in their redirection of student use of the word, on Friday.
The administrative team was in communication over the weekend with parents who reported the concern, and today the administrative team is thoroughly investigating the Friday incident, as well as follow-up concerns that are reported to have emerged this morning.
In the AAPS, we take this situation very seriously; all of us are deeply disturbed by the content of the allegations.
We take very seriously any and all concerns shared regarding racist attitudes and practices that exist anywhere in our AAPS organization, and we will continue to ensure consistent and thorough processes for receiving and addressing concerns. We recognize that reporting requires courage and that it is critically important that students, staff and community members have a safe place to openly share their concerns and experiences. We encourage those with concerns to report them directly to their building principal or another trusted adult at school.
We are committed to continuing a full and thorough investigation and are deeply committed to equity and inclusion for each and every student we serve.
