
Staffer at South Washington County Schools resigns amid racism investigation
An unidentified staff member at Park High School in Cottage Grove has resigned after being accused of using racist language.
A statement provided to Bring Me The News by South Washington County Schools confirmed the situation, though specifics were not provided.
"Last week, we received several complaints from students against a staff member. We responded immediately and the individual was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a district investigation. The staff member has since resigned and is no longer employed by South Washington County Schools," the district's statement reads.
The district spokesperson noted that state privacy laws do not allow the sharing of additional information about the situation.
According to WCCO-TV, Park High School's Black Student Union organized a walkout on Monday, with a students alleging to the TV station that there have been "countless racially motivated incidents," including an allegation of a teacher calling a student the n-word.
"We should not have to carry the emotional burden of being responsible for educating the general school population about the use of the n-word. Our job as students is to be educated, not to be educators," Nia Tolefree, a student speaker, said during Monday's gathering outside the school.