Fresno Unified investigating racial incident involving Hoover High staff
Fresno Unified School District officials say they are investigating a “racially insensitive incident” that happened Friday night during a Hoover High staff end-of-year celebration.
Several staff members were involved in the incident during an after-hours virtual event, officials said in a statement released late Saturday afternoon. No other details were given about what exactly took place.
“On Monday, district support staff, along with the school’s administrative team will begin the week listening to those involved and impacted, providing supports to help repair relationships, and identify necessary steps in moving its staff forward together,” the district stated.
“Fresno Unified recognizes that while our work in this area has definitely improved through its efforts with our African American Academic Acceleration task force and cultural proficiency work led by the department of Equity and Access, we are reminded once again, that more must be done. We all need to open our eyes and our hearts to the pain these racial incidents cause in our community and recognize the path and personal responsibility before us in changing future suffering and racial trauma.”
Earlier in the week, Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson wrote a letter to the community that urged compassion.
“The complexities of these times will continue to leave lasting and painful memories for our children, our families, our valley, and our nation,” he wrote, “and it is during these times that we must press harder, lean in more, LISTEN, and act.”
Other Fresno-area incidents
On Monday, an FUSD teacher made remarks on her social media page against those supporting the recent protests. Kings Canyon Middle School teacher Marcy Barlow Barnhart made her comments on her personal Facebook page, which quickly circulated online before they were taken down.
Her 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!!”
Fresno Unified officials said they were “looking into the matter” but did not respond to any other questions.
At Clovis Unified, community members are calling for the expulsion of a student who wrote racist social media posts about protesters who are supporting George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly 10 minutes.
Clovis Unified spokesperson Kelly Avants confirmed the student attends Buchanan High and said the district has been pursuing a “disciplinary investigation” of the “deeply disturbing posts.”
This story was originally published June 6, 2020 at 6:58 PM.