Missouri student suspended for recording and reporting teacher repeatedly using the N word in class demands apology from the school district

In a shocking incident at Glendale High School in Missouri, a student decided to record her geometry teacher repeatedly using the n-word in class. The brave 15-year-old student, Mary Walton, captured the offensive language on her cell phone, but the teacher didn’t notice until he had uttered the racial slur a couple more times.

As the video rolls, the teacher can be heard instructing Walton to put her phone away, but she refused. He then proceeded to order her to go to the office. Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Walton promptly texted the video to her mom, Kate Welborn, explaining that she didn’t upload it but simply shared it with a friend. However, the video quickly spread like wildfire.

To her surprise, Walton was met with a three-day out-of-school suspension as a result of the incident. This maximum penalty for a first-time offense involving “inappropriate use of electronic devices” at the high school level started last Friday, leaving her barred from returning to campus until the following Wednesday.

According to the student handbook, this punishment was deemed appropriate. Walton, however, was determined to hold the teacher accountable for his offensive language. She explained, “I wanted proof that he said it so I could give it to the office and hold him accountable for what he said. I don’t think what he did was right.” In response to the incident, the teacher in question was placed on paid administrative leave.

The news of her own suspension left Walton perplexed. She questioned what she had done wrong, expressing her belief that if she hadn’t taken the video, the teacher may have gone unpunished. Walton wondered why she was being penalized for her efforts to shed light on the teacher’s behavior.

As for what led the teacher to use the racial slur, Walton couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause. She did mention that the teacher had questioned her classmates about their use of the slur, insinuating that if they could say it, so could he. Experts have recognized this argument as a racist attempt to downplay the Black community’s efforts to reclaim the word.

Josh Groves, the principal of Glendale High School, sent an email to parents, assuring them that the district had appropriately and promptly addressed the incident. Groves stated, “When students have concerns, they should follow the appropriate steps for reporting.” He also revealed that the teacher is no longer employed by the school district.

While Welborn acknowledges the district’s concerns about students capturing minor infractions by teachers on video, she believes that in this case, the teacher’s actions needed to be exposed. She hopes this incident serves as a deterrent and highlights the importance of students reporting outrageous behavior by educators.

Mother and daughter are now challenging what they deem an inappropriate punishment and are seeking an apology from the district. Walton’s attorney, Natalie Hull, argues that the sophomore acted as a whistleblower, gathering evidence of an authority figure’s misconduct. Hull asserts that punishing Walton will discourage students from reporting such incidents in the future, creating a chilling effect.

Hull emphasized, “This kid did what we want people to do — see something, say something.” She added, “Now we’re telling students, ‘If you see something, don’t show it because then you’ll get suspended.'”

The teacher in question has since resigned.