An Ohio school district employee is facing unspecified “disciplinary action” over a racially charged statement directed at a parent and her daughter, WTOL-Toledo reports.
The Evergreen Middle School parent, who is of Middle Eastern descent, alleges that after she and her daughter entered through a set of doors to the school an employee “just looks at me and my daughter and asks if I have a bomb on me."
The incident occurred in Fulton County, a community of approximately 43,000 residents west of Toledo.
The parent told the television station that she was dropping her daughter off at school during the lunch period when the employee approached them. The parent requested anonymity because her daughter still attends the school.
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"I was in complete shock. I was like, 'Excuse me?'" the mother said. "She's like, 'We just don't let anybody into the building – you wouldn't happen to have a bomb on you would you?'
"And I was in complete shock, I was stuttering. I said (to her), 'I am just here to drop off my daughter.'"
Evergreen Local School District Superintendent Eric Smola in a statement to the television station confirmed that an investigation resulted in the employee facing disciplinary action over the comment.
"Unfortunately, a comment was made last month by one of our teachers to a parent and her daughter that goes against Evergreen's core values," the statement said.
"The exchange has been investigated, addressed and resulted in disciplinary action. While malice was never intended by the employee, we understand the insensitive nature and impact of the comment. The teacher and administration have extended an apology to the student and family involved."
The employee has since apologized to the mother in an email obtained by the news outlet that said: "I would like to sincerely apologize for my insensitive attempt at humor when we were both entering the school building."
But the parent said she isn’t buying the employee’s explanation, noting that had she replied in an “attempt at humor,” she’d have faced consequences.
"When she asked if I had a bomb on me and if I would've ‘humored’ back and replied and said yes, would that have been taken lightly? It wouldn't – they would've had the school on lockdown, they would've had my kids expelled, probably. They would not have taken that lightly if I would have humored back and I said yes," the parent said.
