Parents are rightfully outraged after discovering that an assistant principal at an elementary school in Sanford, Maine, directed a racial slur at a 9-year-old biracial student. The incident occurred when the boy was sent to the assistant principal’s office for allegedly bullying another student. In a misguided attempt to impart a lesson about bullying, the assistant principal reportedly said, “If I called you [the slur], how would you feel?”
The child’s parents, Laura and Tom Richards, shared with local news outlets that their son returned home deeply affected by the incident, revealing the shocking words used by the assistant principal. Tom described how the administrator acknowledged her wrongdoing, stating, “Yes, I know I’m wrong; I did call your son that, and I wasn’t considering the consequences or how it would impact him.”
It is unfathomable that an educator would resort to using such a derogatory term under any circumstances, let alone as a supposed teaching moment. The hurtful language used by the assistant principal far exceeds any verbal bullying a child might experience from peers.
In response to the incident, Sanford Superintendent Matthew Brown announced that the assistant principal would undergo “additional training” to better address such situations in the future. He claimed that the intention was to illustrate how words can cause pain. “We aimed to set an example, but we failed,” he told reporters. However, many believe that this punishment is far too lenient for such a serious offense.
Laura expressed concern about the long-lasting impact of this incident on her son, noting, “He doesn’t want to go back to school now. He will carry this memory for the rest of his life.” Parents like Laura and Tom fear that, without appropriate consequences, similar incidents could happen to other children in the future.
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In summary, the incident involving an assistant principal using a racial slur against a 9-year-old biracial student has sparked outrage among parents and the community. The lack of appropriate consequences raises concerns about the potential for recurring incidents in the future.