KOKOMO, Ind. -- A paraprofessional was fired and two students were disciplined at Kokomo High School Thursday after video was recorded of a racial slur written on a computer.
According to David Barnes, the director of communications for the Kokomo School Corporation, a student recreated a cartoon scene that was "offensive and in poor taste," then shared it with a paraprofessional in a classroom setting.
The drawing is on a laptop of the game "hangman," with a racial slur spelled on the screen. A student and an adult are seen looking at the photo, and laughter is heard as they smile at the screen.
The paraprofessional involved in the incident was terminated by Kokomo Schools. Kokomo Schools has not released what the paraprofessional did for the school. No teachers were involved in the situation.
In an educational setting, a paraprofessional is a person who is in a teaching-related position, but does not have a teacher's license. These could include aides, assistants or tutors.
Two students were disciplined from the incident -- the one who drew the image, and the one who recorded it on their phone. The exact discipline of both students is unknown.
The second student violated school policy that states:
"Photography, filming, videotaping, or audiotaping of students or school personnel are forbidden without prior consent of the individuals photographed or recorded at non-public events. Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary penalty and the electronic device being confiscated and returned only to the parent or guardian."
According to a release, disciplinary consequences are based on the number of times a policy has been violated and also may include the number of times the student has violated other school policies.
Kokomo High School Principal Angela Blessing sent the following statement to Kokomo High School students and staff at the end of the day:
“Discrimination in any form is unconscionable and will not be tolerated at Kokomo High School. I am proud of our students and staff who work to create an inclusive and welcoming school environment at KHS. We will continue our work to reinforce our expectations about mutual respect among our diverse student body.”
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