Today, Algonquin Regional High School’s Principal updated the community that an unnamed employee who was put on paid leave last week “is no longer a member of our school community”.
As I shared last week, the school was investigating a gym teacher after students reported a YouTube video they believed captured him smiling while making comments that another man looks like a killer because he is black and “a lot of black people commit murder”.
At that time, the school said it was conducting an investigation into the matter. Today’s update is as vague about the details as the original message.
Although it makes clear that the employee no longer works for the school, it doesn’t specify whether he was fired or resigned. Principal Sean Bevan called the recorded comments “an indefensible violation of our school’s commitment to providing students with a safe and supportive learning environment”.
Below is the full message. (For more about the incident, click here.)
Dear members of the Algonquin school community,
This communication is a follow-up to my prior email to you regarding a concerning video that depicts racially insensitive language and comments made by an employee. The school immediately investigated the complaints, and the individual is no longer an employee or a member of our school community.
The statements made in the video constitute an indefensible violation of our school’s commitment to providing students with a safe and supportive learning environment deeply rooted in respect, empathy, inclusivity, and respect for others. We thank the members of our community who promptly brought the event to our attention. The event also serves as a reminder of the importance of our ongoing work to improve how we meet the needs of our diverse school population. The work is ever-evolving and will never truly be complete. However, the health and safety of our students and members of the school community will always be paramount.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we investigated this event. Together, we will continue to foster an environment that upholds our core values and promotes the success of each and every student in the Public Schools of Northborough-Southborough.
