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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| School Security Officer Fired for Repeating Racial Slur Aimed at Him | School Security Officer Fired for Repeating Racial Slur Aimed at Him |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A high school security officer in Wisconsin said an unruly student called him a racial slur several times last week, but when he tried to explain to the student why the epithet was offensive, it cost him his job. | A high school security officer in Wisconsin said an unruly student called him a racial slur several times last week, but when he tried to explain to the student why the epithet was offensive, it cost him his job. |
| The security officer, Marlon Anderson, said that he told the student to stop calling him a “nigger” during an Oct. 9 exchange at West High School in Madison. Both Mr. Anderson and the student are black. | The security officer, Marlon Anderson, said that he told the student to stop calling him a “nigger” during an Oct. 9 exchange at West High School in Madison. Both Mr. Anderson and the student are black. |
| Less than a week later, school officials terminated Mr. Anderson’s employment, citing a zero-tolerance policy on the use of derogatory language by staff members. | Less than a week later, school officials terminated Mr. Anderson’s employment, citing a zero-tolerance policy on the use of derogatory language by staff members. |
| Now, students and residents are rallying around Mr. Anderson, 48, who is fighting to get his job back. He said in an interview on Thursday night that the policy was flawed because it failed to put his use of the slur in its proper context. | Now, students and residents are rallying around Mr. Anderson, 48, who is fighting to get his job back. He said in an interview on Thursday night that the policy was flawed because it failed to put his use of the slur in its proper context. |
| “So if the class is reading ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and the teacher is reading the book out loud and it gets to the part where the N-word is, the teacher gets fired?” Mr. Anderson asked. “It has nothing to do with context, but it has everything to do with the actual word.” | “So if the class is reading ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and the teacher is reading the book out loud and it gets to the part where the N-word is, the teacher gets fired?” Mr. Anderson asked. “It has nothing to do with context, but it has everything to do with the actual word.” |
| Gloria Reyes, the school board president for the Madison Metropolitan School District, said in a statement on Thursday that the policy would be re-examined. | Gloria Reyes, the school board president for the Madison Metropolitan School District, said in a statement on Thursday that the policy would be re-examined. |
| “We’ve taken a tough stance on racial slurs, and we believe that language has no place in schools,” Ms. Reyes said. “We have also heard from the community about the complexity involved — and our duty to examine it.” | “We’ve taken a tough stance on racial slurs, and we believe that language has no place in schools,” Ms. Reyes said. “We have also heard from the community about the complexity involved — and our duty to examine it.” |
| “As a board, we plan to review our approach, the underlying policies, and examine them with a racial equity lens understanding that universal policies can often deepen inequities,” she added. “We will ask the community for help in that process. I have requested that this item be placed on our board agenda as soon as possible.” | “As a board, we plan to review our approach, the underlying policies, and examine them with a racial equity lens understanding that universal policies can often deepen inequities,” she added. “We will ask the community for help in that process. I have requested that this item be placed on our board agenda as soon as possible.” |
| Mr. Anderson, who worked at West High School for three years and East High School in Madison for eight years before that, said the episode started when an assistant principal radioed for help with a disruptive student. | Mr. Anderson, who worked at West High School for three years and East High School in Madison for eight years before that, said the episode started when an assistant principal radioed for help with a disruptive student. |
| The student, a 17-year-old senior, had finished classes for the day and had taken another student’s cellphone when the assistant principal intervened, according to Mr. Anderson, who said the student then pushed the assistant principal. | The student, a 17-year-old senior, had finished classes for the day and had taken another student’s cellphone when the assistant principal intervened, according to Mr. Anderson, who said the student then pushed the assistant principal. |
| As Mr. Anderson was trying to escort the student out of the building, he said, the student taunted him with the racial slur about 15 times. He said he repeatedly told the student to stop using the slur, which he himself repeated several times. | As Mr. Anderson was trying to escort the student out of the building, he said, the student taunted him with the racial slur about 15 times. He said he repeatedly told the student to stop using the slur, which he himself repeated several times. |
| That’s when he said the assistant principal, Jennifer Talarczyk, turned on the microphone of her walkie-talkie, so that Mr. Anderson could be overheard by school administrators and members of the security staff. He said Ms. Talarczyk told him to “tap out” and remove himself from the confrontation with the student. | |
| “I’m not going to be called that word,” Mr. Anderson said in the interview. “I have a right to not be called that word, I believe. I feel like she tolerated it for the entire ordeal.” | “I’m not going to be called that word,” Mr. Anderson said in the interview. “I have a right to not be called that word, I believe. I feel like she tolerated it for the entire ordeal.” |
| Ms. Talarczyk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. | Ms. Talarczyk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. |
| Two days after the exchange, Mr. Anderson said he was put on notice by the school’s principal, Karen Boran. | Two days after the exchange, Mr. Anderson said he was put on notice by the school’s principal, Karen Boran. |
| He said Dr. Boran told him he was “going to have an uphill battle” and that he was “going to have to fight politics.” | He said Dr. Boran told him he was “going to have an uphill battle” and that he was “going to have to fight politics.” |
| A spokeswoman for the school district, responding on behalf of Dr. Boran, referred to the statement by the school board president. | A spokeswoman for the school district, responding on behalf of Dr. Boran, referred to the statement by the school board president. |
| Mr. Anderson said he met with human resources officials early this week to discuss the episode. | Mr. Anderson said he met with human resources officials early this week to discuss the episode. |
| “Monday morning I was told that I was going to be terminated or I would be given an option to resign,” said Mr. Anderson, who invited black community leaders to join him at the meeting. | “Monday morning I was told that I was going to be terminated or I would be given an option to resign,” said Mr. Anderson, who invited black community leaders to join him at the meeting. |
| Among the people who accompanied Mr. Anderson was Kaleem Caire, the founder of One City Schools, a group of independent charter schools that serves mostly low-income students in Wisconsin. | Among the people who accompanied Mr. Anderson was Kaleem Caire, the founder of One City Schools, a group of independent charter schools that serves mostly low-income students in Wisconsin. |
| “I am so glad Marlon is fighting this,” Mr. Caire wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. “In Marlon’s case, the word was not used as a slur. It was not used toward anyone. He was simply telling the student to stop calling him that.” | “I am so glad Marlon is fighting this,” Mr. Caire wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. “In Marlon’s case, the word was not used as a slur. It was not used toward anyone. He was simply telling the student to stop calling him that.” |
| Mr. Caire wrote that the district should be educating students about the use of slurs instead of running away from the issue. | Mr. Caire wrote that the district should be educating students about the use of slurs instead of running away from the issue. |
| Madison Teachers Inc., the union for teachers and noninstructional staff, filed a grievance Thursday on behalf of Mr. Anderson to appeal his dismissal, said Doug Keillor, the union’s executive director. | Madison Teachers Inc., the union for teachers and noninstructional staff, filed a grievance Thursday on behalf of Mr. Anderson to appeal his dismissal, said Doug Keillor, the union’s executive director. |
| “For now we are prepared to say that Mr. Anderson should not have been terminated over this incident and we will be advocating for his reinstatement,” Mr. Keillor said in an email on Thursday. | “For now we are prepared to say that Mr. Anderson should not have been terminated over this incident and we will be advocating for his reinstatement,” Mr. Keillor said in an email on Thursday. |
| Students at West High School are planning a walkout and a march to the district administration building in Madison on Friday. Among them will be Mr. Anderson’s son, Noah Anderson, 17, a senior and president of the Black Student Union. | Students at West High School are planning a walkout and a march to the district administration building in Madison on Friday. Among them will be Mr. Anderson’s son, Noah Anderson, 17, a senior and president of the Black Student Union. |
| “I hope this can fix some of the race inequities in our school district,” Noah said. | “I hope this can fix some of the race inequities in our school district,” Noah said. |