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Black School Guard In Madison Fired For Repeating Racial Slur

Madison School District Sites Zero Tolerance Policy For Employees Who Use Racial Slurs

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Madison West High School
Madison West High School. Corey Coyle (CC BY)

A black security guard at Madison’s West High School who was fired after he says he repeated a racial slur after telling a teen not to use it has filed a grievance seeking his job back.

Madison Metropolitan School District officials said they have zero tolerance policy for employees who use racial slurs. But, the guard, Marlon Anderson, said he was trying to defend himself after a disruptive student unleashed a number of obscenities.

Anderson, who has worked for the district for 11 years, spoke of the incident in an interview with Madison365. After responding to the disruptive student, “Anderson said he attempted to intervene … at which point the student began calling him a series of profanities, including the n-word,” Madison365 wrote of his account.

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Anderson told Madison365 he asked the student not to call him that word, saying: “Don’t call me that, don’t call me the n-word, and don’t call me n—–.”

In an email to familes, West High School Principal Karen Boran said racial slurs aren’t acceptable in schools, regardless of context or circumstance, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

Anderson told the State Journal, “We’re fighting this.” The Madison teachers’ union filed a grievance on behalf of Anderson with the district.

It’s not known whether the student faces disciplinary action.

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