CCSD substitute teacher fired after racial incident at Las Vegas school

By Cody Lee and Kim Passoth

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    LAS VEGAS, Nevada (KVVU) — A Clark County School District substitute teacher has been terminated after an incident involving a racial implication at a Las Vegas junior high school.

The teacher was working at Silvestri Junior High School when the offensive act took place.

1865 No Racism in Schools posted the incident on its Twitter page.

“I wasn’t surprised that I was seeing this,” Akiko Cooks, Co-founder of 1865 No Racism in Schools, a group fighting racial injustice in Clark County schools for years told FOX5.

Cooks maintains what happened at Silvestri Junior High cannot be tolerated no matter the circumstance.

“Him being so comfortable and emboldened to actually write that on a white board for students to see it sends a very direct message that it is actually ok for students to be derogatory and racially insensitive,” Cooks contended.

From CCSD Trustee Lisa Guzman to Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, many people took to social media to denounce the subs actions and praise the students who took action.

“Had those students not taken a picture, would their voice actually had been heard,” Cooks argued.

“Those students deserve an apology… I think that it is important that the community hear it from the district that we will not tolerate this in our schools,” Cooks added.

1865 No Racism in Schools says they work as advocates providing a voice for students and families. They can be contacted through their Twitter page.

The principal of the school said the administration became aware of the incident and the school is “diligently investigating.”

A letter sent to Silvestri High School families also thanked students who told school staff about what happened.

The staff member was a substitute teacher and the individual has been terminated. The individual is no longer employable by CCSD.

Below is the letter that was sent out to school families:

To Charles A. Silvestri Junior High School families,

In an effort to keep you informed of important matters happening at our school, I would like to inform you that the school administration became aware of an incident on our campus that involved communication that contained racial implications. School administration is diligently investigating.

The administration will continue to communicate with you about these situations because it will take the entire Silvestri Junior High School community to condemn these actions collectively. As the school principal, I assure you that appropriate action will be taken against those responsible based on the outcome of the investigation. Additionally, I would like you to know that this will not be tolerated at our school or within the school district.

We are thankful to the students who immediately brought this to our attention. Silvestri Junior High School is dedicated to inclusion as the foundation of emotional, social, and academic growth and support of all individuals. Our school community is inclusive of all races, ethnicities, cultures, religions/beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic statuses, abilities, and living arrangements.

We will not tolerate behaviors that contradict an inclusive community and impact the needs of our students. Please talk to your child about the importance of respective communication, the consequence of racially intolerant behavior, and how the actions of a few may impact others. If your student is ever in a situation where they are unsure whether or not to share information with an adult, please remind them to never hesitate in reporting anything that is racially intolerant. Students and parents can also make reports through SafeVoice reporting system by calling 1-833-216-SAFE (7233) or through the website at safevoicenv.org

Thank you.

Yvette Tippetts, Principal of Charles A. Silvestri Junior High School

No other details were immediately available.

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