Macon leaders want ‘transparency’ amid school district’s racial slur probe

Macon community leaders are asking for answers and transparency while they wait for the Bibb County School District to complete its investigation into a teacher who allegedly used a racial slur in a classroom last week.

On April 11, posts surfaced on social media claiming a female teacher at Rutland Middle School wrote a racially insensitive word on a classroom board while students were present. The incident quickly drew attention, with additional posts showing recordings of a male colleague confronting the educator.

Gwenette Westbrooks, president of the Macon-Bibb NAACP, emphasized the importance of due process, stating that the organization is allowing the district time to conduct a thorough investigation before considering further action.

The local civil rights organization put out a news release Friday, following the district’s response to the alleged incident. In the statement, the local NAACP chapter said Superintendent Dan Sims assured the Macon-Bibb NAACP that “the incident is already being investigated and appropriate action will line up with their policies.”

“The Macon Bibb NAACP will in no way tolerate our children to be treated in any way that demonstrates racial injustices,” Macon NAACP officials said. “We will protect our children’s education by all means necessary.”

The NAACP has not yet received any updates from the district but plans to ask more questions before the investigation concludes, Westbrooks told The Telegraph.

“It shouldn’t take long for an investigation to take place on something like this,” Westbrooks said. “She either did it or she didn’t do it. If she did do it, she needs to explain why she did it, though it shouldn’t have been written at all”

“There should be no place for racism in our school district,” Westbrooks said. “I don’t know why someone would do that. When you have a classroom full of kids and witnesses, why would you do that?”

Westbrooks added that the NAACP hopes the district will issue an appropriate consequence if the allegations are proven true.

The Bibb County School District did not address any updates regarding disciplinary actions prior to publication.

“This remains an active investigation by the Human Resources Department,” BCSD spokesperson Stephanie Hartley told The Telegraph Tuesday.

Macon lawyer Roy Miller also is calling for transparency from the district amid this “extremely serious matter.”

“I do believe in due process and giving people the ability to defend themselves, but there seems to be no desire to be upfront with the public,” Miller said. “Being upfront and transparent demonstrates honesty. With upfront honesty, many may not like what they hear, but they will trust that the board is acting in the best interest of our youth.”

“I really would just like for the Bibb County Board of Education to talk to the people and tell them what happened and why it happened. That would go a long way toward minimizing the emotional damage and keeping good race relations at not just Rutland (Middle), but all of the schools,” he added.

Miller said that in 1994, he succeeded at having the slur deleted from major dictionary Funk & Wagnall. Miller said he is still advocating for the derogatory word to not be used in any way, even in the Black community.

Miller said he believes the accused teacher should be terminated if the district finds fault in its investigation.

Westbrooks said she believes the potential emotional and mental impact of the alleged incident on students, particularly those of color, could lead to an overall distrust of teachers of a different race.

Westbrooks also suggested that the impact will be more significant on parents than on students, as they understand the historical and cultural context of the offensive language.