Reading the saga of the “N-word” at the Novato Unified School District has gotta make you shake your head in wonderment. Let me set the scene: The school board president is in conversation with the top two district administrators and tells them the hiring of an athletic director must have a strong individual to bring more order and security to games for the protection of minority students.
To make the point, he cites the 1998 case at a San Marin High School basketball game in which students chanted the fully articulated “N-word.” In telling the story, the president uses the exact word chanted.
The story of that usage of the N-word then leaked out and became widespread knowledge with the district. The top district official said the bottom line is this: The district needs more training “in the area of disrupting casual language, behavior and systems that are rooted in overt or system racism.”
Really? That’s the bottom line?
Am I the only one who wonders how a private conversation between two paid staff and an elected school board official became nasty fodder for character-assassination gossip of the elected official?
(You can reach Sherman R. Frederick by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com, or by phone at 415-408-1073.)
Leave a Reply