South Jersey private school teacher ousted over slur on video

Joseph P. Smith, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
·1 min read

BUENA VISTA TWP. — St. Augustine Preparatory School has fired a teacher who it says is heard on video “using a racial slur during the reenactment of a film in the classroom.”

The head of school, the Rev. Robert J. Murray, issued a letter about the incident on April 25 to families of students.

The name of the teacher has not been made public.

St. Augustine sent a copy to the Courier-Post on Wednesday in response to an email seeking comment. The school has not responded yet to another request to more fully clarify the circumstances of the remark.

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Murray, in the letter, states he was informed a video exists and is in public circulation.

“This behavior contradicts the core values we hold at St. Augustine Prep and is inconsistent with the school’s Catholic, Augustinian mission,” his letter states. “I cannot stress enough that St. Augustine Prep does not condone racism or discrimination in any form or context.

“As soon as I knew of the incident, I immediately consulted the school’s Leadership Team,” the letter states. “We took swift action reviewing the facts of the incident per the school's policies, procedures, and values regarding employee conduct. The teacher involved has been terminated from his position and escorted off-campus without incident.”

Murray also states that students and staff at the all-boys school were told about what happened at an assembly. Counseling also was offered.

Additionally, faculty and other staff met privately to discuss school policies.

Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Prep teacher fired, St. Augustine cites slur in class