At least one Fresno Unified School District employee mocked the death of George Floyd during an online end-of-the-year celebration in June, according to emails obtained by The Fresno Bee through a Public Records Act request.

During Hoover High School’s virtual event on June 5, some employees played a game of Charades. The topic “running from the police” was chosen, and while acting it out, at least one employee said, “I can’t breathe,” according to an email sent by Hoover High football coach Rustin Pickett. He sent the email to all Hoover High staff.

Floyd’s death sparked national protests after a video of his neck being crushed for nearly eight minutes by a Minneapolis police officer’s knee went viral. In the video, you can hear him repeatedly telling the officer, “I can’t breathe” before he goes still.

Floyd died in police custody on May 25, and since then, the four officers involved have been fired and arrested. There were multiple protests in Fresno and surrounding communities in response to police brutality.

Pickett’s email, sent the night of the online celebration, said Hoover is a “special place but it was tarnished and somewhat ruin(ed) by poor choices in the game setting.”

“We have to know that this is unacceptable on all accounts! If we are ‘family’ then we should understand why this is unacceptable and offense to many! Heartbroken that this is how a great night ended for me!

“I am not looking for an apology I am looking for CHANGE!”

Pickett declined to comment for this story.

Fresno Unified released a statement the day after the online event and said it was investigating the incident.

When reached by comment this week, Fresno Unified spokesperson Nikki Henry said in an email, “The district has investigated the complaints. Due to the confidential nature of personnel matters, we are not able to share any outcomes.”

Trustee Claudia Cazares, who represents the Hoover High region, did not respond to requests for comment.

Fresno Unified said “several” employees were involved in the incident but didn’t say what took place.

There was no information in the emails obtained by The Bee that disclosed which staffers were involved or what their job titles are.

Fresno Unified sweeps racism ‘under the rug,’ email says

Some Hoover High employees replied to Pickett’s email and described what they said was a culture of racism at the school and Fresno Unified.

“I am deeply bothered by the events that took place last night, but I am not at all surprised,” one employee said in an email sent to Hoover staff. “FUSD has a history of systemic racism that has been swept under the rug for years.”

“Shame on you. Shame on those who chose such a sensitive topic. Shame on those who participated in such foolishness,” the employee wrote. “Shame on those who sat there and said nothing. And shame on those who thought it was ok.

“If you’re comfortable displaying this behavior in a platform with your peers, I can only imagine how you interact with our students of color who often have no voice.”

Hoover High, which is in northeast Fresno, has a majority Hispanic population, about 60%, according to the Public School Reviews website. About 12% of students are Asian, 10% are Black and 15% are white.

“Our students feel any underlying beliefs or prejudices that you may have,” another employee email said “Our students do not have the confidence to stand up when they feel pre-judged. So we will do it for them.”

That employee cited prejudice at Hoover as the reason he planned to transfer to another department within the district.

Some Hoover High employees responded to Pickett’s email and said the remarks made during the virtual event were “disappointing,” inappropriate,” “disrespectful,” and “disheartening.” Multiple employees also expressed their regrets for not speaking out against the people who made the remarks or for not stopping the game after the statements.

Principal Rebecca Wheeler sent out an email to staffers “acknowledging the hurt” the remarks caused and said she is working on a plan to “move forward.”

“Please understand that this is not something solved through email or something that can be solved overnight; in fact, I would ask that we all take a pause from email and we take some time to reflect and read and think and listen and not look for a quick ‘wrap this up with a bow’ resolution,” her email continued.

Wheeler said she spoke to the people involved in the incident and planned to have “some crucial conversations.”

Wheeler declined to comment for this story and referred questions to the district office.

String of racist incidents in Fresno-area schools

The Hoover High incident was just one of a half dozen racist incidents tied to Fresno-area schools in June.

On June 1, just days before the end-of-the-year celebration, another Fresno Unified teacher spoke out against the people who were protesting Floyd’s death. Kings Canyon Middle School teacher Marcy Barlow Barnhart made her comments on her personal Facebook page that quickly circulated and were taken down.

The post said: “Those of you who call yourselves ‘EDUCATORS’ and are on your social media platform supporting the rioting/looting/ criminal behavior going on...... YOU DISGUST ME! I pray to God my students are smarter and less ghetto than you!!”

During that same week, thousands of community members signed a petition to expel a Clovis Unified School District student who posted racist statements on his Snapchat story about George Floyd protesters. The student’s comments contained multiple racial slurs, including repeated use of the N-word and ended by suggesting white people should protest violence by “hunting and killing” black people.

Two Valley school board members resigned in the same week for posting insensitive messages on their Facebook pages. Central Unified School District Trustee Richard Atkins resigned on June 23 under public pressure after posting: “If you don’t love the country you live in then go back to the country you or your ancestors came from. I’m SICK of this (expletive).”

Two days later, Sara Wilkins, the president of the Madera County school board, resigned after a post on her social media account displayed a Confederate flag and said, “I’m proud to be white.’ (sic) I bet no one passes this on because they are scared of (sic) be called a racist.”

Fresno Unified Trustee Terry Slatic faced criticism in a formal complaint released last month after a local pastor accused Slatic of telling him to “go back to the barrio.” Slatic denied making this statement.

Also, in June, a Design Science Middle College High School staffer came under fire for comments made on Twitter in 2017 and 2018 related to immigration and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab on our website.

This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Fresno school employee mocked George Floyd’s death. Teachers say they’re not surprised."