IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Florida substitute teacher resigns after yelling a racial slur at school, officials say

The woman, who is white, allegedly continued using the slur in the principal’s office. The principal and 75 percent of the students at the St. Petersburg school are Black.
Get more newsLiveon
/ Source: The Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A substitute teacher in Florida has resigned after students said she yelled a racial slur in the classroom.

The 59-year-old white woman continued using the slur after going to the principal’s office Wednesday at Lealman Innovation Academy, Pinellas County school officials told the Tampa Bay Times.

Principal Connisheia Garcia is Black, as are about 75 percent of the students at the school in St. Petersburg, which focuses on personalized learning for students in grades six through 12.

District spokeswoman Isabel Mascareñas says the principal reported the substitute teacher to human resources and she was put on a do-not-use list.

Image: Lealman Innovation Academy.
Lealman Innovation Academy.Pinellas County Schools

“They were setting up a time to review” the complaint, she told the newspaper. “Before they could set a date, she resigned.”

The woman had worked in several schools without incident after being hired on July 1, Mascareñas said.