An Illinois school board unanimously voted to fire a teacher captured on video allegedly calling a student a racial slur. However, the family of the student involved in the incident says that decision came weeks too late according to ABC 7 Chicago.
“I’m angry. I’m frustrated. And my heart is broken,” Kankakee School District 111 Board Secretary Tracy Verrett told the news station.
Michael Nelson Jr., a 10th grader, was involved in the incident in October in a classroom at Kankakee High School.
“It’s really hard to describe. I just can’t, you know… I’m just mentally shocked,” Nelson said.
Nelson says he was called the N-word by his math teacher as he walked out of the classroom after a verbal dispute.
“There is absolutely utter disdain and horror at what occurred in that classroom,” Kankakee School District 111 Board Member Christopher Bohlen said.
The district says hours after the incident, the first-year teacher, identified as John Donovan was put on paid leave.
“There is absolutely nothing that any student can do to deserve having that word used against them,” Kankakee School District 111 Superintendent Genevra Walters said.
The school board later voted unanimously to fire him. However, Nelson and his family are still demanding answers. They says the teacher should have been removed from that class earlier because of another incident with Nelson last month, during which he allegedly threw a book at him.
“I mean, this is battery. He attacked him, and the school did nothing. The school did nothing to protect him,” Kevin O’Connor, an attorney for the Nelson family told the ABC 7 Chicago.
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