STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Father Wants School Employee Terminated After Allegedly Calling His 4th Grade Son A 'F*****g N****r'

Leon Howard said his child was so disturbed he didn't want to go back to school.

A father in St. Charles, Missouri, is demanding a school take action after a school employee allegedly hurled a racial slur at his son, who is in the fourth grade. 

Leon Howard, whose son attends Harvest Ridge Elementary School, said the incident occurred when his boy and another student were playing football at recess. Howard told local news station KPLR 11 an employee approached his son and used the n-word.  

“I think he's the gym teacher,” Howard told KPLR. “He approached my son and said, ‘Give me the ball you effing n-word!’”

Howard said after the word was used, the kids who were playing ran to look for help and notify another adult.

“He ran and told principal and the principal made them write a statement about what he said, and I guess they did investigation of their own. I don’t know,” Howard told the news station.

Matt Deichmann, the communications and community relations officer for the Francis Howell School District, said they are working on a resolution, which should not take very long.

“We take these types of allegations seriously,” Deichmann told KPLR. “So the school and district administers immediately began an investigation and the employee was placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the investigation.”

Howard was contacted by the Harvest Ridge Elementary principal immediately after the alleged verbal assault and was told what the students said happened. Howard said he wants the school to act accordingly.

“I think he should be terminated,” Howard said. “I don’t think he should be able to work around kids at all.”

“The district does work to promote an inclusive educational environment that is safe and nurturing and inclusive of all staff and students,” Deichmann said.

Howard said his son didn’t go to school Thursday. He’s considering pulling his son out of Harvest Ridge and trying home schooling or another option.

“My son woke up [Thursday] morning and didn’t want to go to school,” he said. “He was crying.”

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.