A staff member at a Twin Cities high school is accused of repeatedly using a racial slur to students.
In a letter to families, Jim Smokrovich, principal of East Ridge High School in Woodbury, Minnesota, said the staff member used the racial slur “while discussing inappropriate comments a student was making toward other students.”
Smokrovich says the employee “was immediately walked out of the school after students reported what they heard.”
“Understandably, the students were upset by the use of the racial slur. We are grateful to the students who were brave enough to bring this forward and to support our East Ridge values,” Smokrovich said.
The principal went on to offer a “sincere apology for the actions that took place in our school.”
This comes about a year and a half after a racially-motivated fight broke out inside an East Ridge bathroom, which was caught on video by students. Following the November 2023 incident, Smokrovich said, “We recognize that incidents like this have an impact on our entire community. The well-being of our students continues to be our top priority.”
Officials with South Washington County Schools also released a statement on this week’s incident, adding the employee is on administrative leave as the district’s investigation is underway, and administrators have “connected with the students’ families.”