November 30, 2016
Cheltenham School District announced on Wednesday that a high school teacher has been suspended for making "racially insensitive and discriminatory" remarks the classroom.
In a statement on the district's website, the school board explained its decision reiterated its commitment to maintaining an inclusive environment.
"We are an educational organization, and there is no room for hate or intimidation based upon racial or ethnic characteristics, socio- economic class, religious belief, sexual identification or disability," the statement said.
The school district did not identify the teacher in question or reveal details about the incident, referring to the situation as a "personnel matter" that cannot be addressed publicly.
We have heard clearly from concerned families, students and staff members about the incident at Cheltenham High School and the need for CSD to address not only the incident but actions to eliminate a climate where anyone would mistakenly believe that hate or intimidating language is in any way acceptable," the statement continued.
The teacher will remain suspended pending the outcome of further investigation.
Moving foward, the school district's Board of Directors will re-evaluate its policies to ensure that "No Place for Hate" is honored and modeled throughout the community. Anyone who feels that they or a student has been targeted by intimidation or negative comments is encourgaed to report incidents to the relevant school principal.
