A Minnesota principal who was caught on video using the N-word has now apologized, and the school community is engaged in typical race grievance pandering.
On January 3 before a gathered crowd at her school, Metcalf Middle School Principal Shannon McParland apologized for the September incident, the video of which was posted on YouTube three months later.
According to Sun Thisweek, in the seven-second video clip McParland says to a student “Like, seriously, you’re gonna call me a f—in’ n—–?”
In a statement via the district website after the clip’s revelation, McParland wrote that her comments were in response to a student who “directed profanities and racial epithets toward me and other staff members,” and were “a rhetorical question […] to express my surprise that the student said those things.”
The YouTube snippet does not show the student’s remarks, but the district is in possession of the full video.
As we have learned, especially with the “Papa” John Schnatter situation, context simply does not matter when it comes to the N-word and its utterance by (especially) white people. Nor does any amount of apologizing.
Indeed, this notion was addressed directly at the January 3 confab: “Some felt the incident is a symptom of a bigger problem in the district or expressed disbelief that some people think the N-word can be used if it is used ‘in context.’”
Nowhere in either story is there any mention of the student’s behavior, or of the repercussions for yelling what he did at McParland.
Instead, students demanded an apology from McParland and wanted to discuss ways to make the school “more inclusive.”
“A lot of people are taking it as a joke,” Sara [Abraham] said. “But, like, me, her, other students we’re hearing now, we take it as: It’s our principal, our school, our environment. We can’t have that just be said and move on.”
The incident seems to have emboldened some white students to think they can “make racist comments towards colored people” and “pull up racist memes,” Iman [Seecharran] said.
“And if you feel uneducated about the word,” she added, “please ask. … If they need that clarification, it can be given to them.”
After the meeting, conversations and the apologies are over, racial problems will remain, Iman said.
“There’s more going on. People won’t speak on it, but, like, I will,” she said.
The incident has sparked worries about discrimination, white privilege and racism at Metcalf, according to the summary of reactions assembled before the meeting.
“Various groups” feel McParland’s initial apology was insincere because of the way it was worded, according to the summary.
Metcalf M.S. Dean of Students Leah Bourg added that “all teachers can improve their cultural proficiency.”
However, the article also notes staff members in other district schools sympathize with McParland as Metcalf is a “tough” school. They feel the incident is being overblown (“because people likely to have been offended by the N-word weren’t as upset as they had thought”) and — surprise — they fear being “authentic” in conversations about race because what they say may get them in trouble.
MORE: Student groups hold ‘race relations’ confab in wake of ‘Papa John’ fiasco
MORE: Latina lecturer shamed as ‘racist’ for asking that N-word NOT be used
IMAGE: YouTube
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