Racial slur results in resignation of Carroll County school board member
In the past year, we’ve repeatedly seen the need for racial sensitivity. Just ask Don Imus. This week, Carroll County has been grappling with its own controversy connected to a school board member, Jeffrey L. Morse, who admitted using a racial slur during a visit to a high school construction site.
Fellow Sun education reporter Arin Gencer reports that Morse resigned Wednesday from his position after a board meeting where several people expressed outrage with him and the decision-making of the group.
According to Arin’s article, the incident where the racial slur was used occurred a few weeks ago at the construction site of the new Manchester Valley High School. Morse was at the site to learn about problems encountered with some dark rock, according to the article. Arin reports that when a large boulder was pointed out to Morse, he mentioned a term that he said contractors in the area around Littlestown, Pa., not far from where he lives, used to describe it.
Morse, who was appointed by the governor to fill a vacant board seat last year, currently teaches biology at Littlestown High School and was running for his first full term this year.
According to the article, Morse previously offered to resign in a closed session that the board held a couple of weeks ago to address a complaint filed against him. His fellow members instead told him to apologize, according to Edmund O'Meally, the board's legal counsel.
What do you think? Should Morse have resigned immediately? Should the school board have requested his resignation instead of relying on a simple apology? Or are you tired of apologies associated with this type of behavior? Talk to me.






Comments
Wait... he's resigning for relaying a slur used by others to describe a rock?
Get in here. Maybe he can help out explaining why this might be construed as poor judgment rather than racism (and the difference between a "mention" and a "use").
Posted by: steegness | March 28, 2008 4:46 PM
When I first read the blog, I had to re-read it again twice to try to find the racial slur. I thought I must have blanked out and missed it. Aren't we a popular people that there are so many names and phrases used to describe us! I guess the point is that racial bigotry is local with code words. They all know what they meant even if we don't.
Posted by: sunny | April 1, 2008 11:07 AM
If this man resigns then so should the person who wrote this article and right on down the line. Likewise the person who passed this information on and everyone who heard the story.
So what is he guilty of? Did he say the B word? The G word? The M word? Oh...maybe the R word. Naw. I bet it was the V word. Uhmm...coulda been the W word. Maybe the C word. Uh...the E word? Darn. I guess I'll never know what it is that I'm supposed to be insulted by.
Posted by: Rockmelon | February 26, 2009 8:45 PM