Holland teacher on paid leave after allegedly using ‘racial slur’ in class

HOLLAND, MI - Holland Public Schools announced Thursday that a middle school teacher has been placed on paid administrative leave, after allegedly using a racial slur during class.

A text message was sent by the district to parents whose students were present in the classroom on Wednesday, Oct. 23, informing them that the teacher “used a racial slur while correcting a student about the use of inappropriate language” but did not say the slur used.

“Regardless of the intent, we know the use of these kinds of words can have a negative impact and cause harm within our school community,” the district message read. “Please know that we are taking this matter very seriously.”

Jason Craner, marketing and communications specialist for the district, said the teacher was placed on paid administrative leave Thursday, Oct. 24. He said the text message was sent Wednesday afternoon to district families.

“We have already taken immediate steps to address the situation internally and will reinforce expectations with our staff ensuring this type of language is not used in ANY context,” the district said.

The name of the teacher is not being being released. It is unclear how long they have been teaching in the district.

“We will continue to provide resources and support to any students who may have been affected and encourage open communication between students, parents, and staff as we work to ensure incidents like this do not happen again,” the district said.

Craner said it was a personnel matter, so the district would not have further comment about the incident.

The news has sparked a lot of conversation on Holland community Facebook pages.

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