WISD takes disciplinary action following complaint a student used a racial slur; NAACP president calls for appropriate punishment, ongoing education

Apr. 26—Weatherford school officials say they have taken action after a Weatherford student was accused of using a racial slur toward a batter from Euless Trinity during a Weatherford home baseball game on April 19.

Weatherford ISD, in a statement, said high school administrators have investigated the issue and that discipline has been administered according to the district's Student Code of Conduct.

Parker County NAACP President Eddie Burnett said he hopes the discipline is appropriate to the offense.

"I certainly think the student should not get a slap on the wrist ... but I don't want to give them the death penalty," he said. "Shouting out a racial slur whether in private or public, against another person — whether it's an opposing team, a classmate, community member or a stranger from Mars — is the wrong thing to do and the wrong message to send.

"There should be an ongoing effort to discourage things like that."

Reached by email Friday, a Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD spokesperson said the district would not be making a statement.

Burnett said he has a problem with racial slurs, no matter who says it.

"I think that's part of a problem that we as a community foster," he said, "is if it's a Black student to another, we seem to hold it as a lesser offense.

"I think the school, in disciplining, should do it without regard to what that student's race is. We're not excusing people just because they look like us."

Burnett said there also needs to be ongoing education in addition to discipline.

"There should be some effort to remind our students, in part, but the community at large that there are other people living in the community and participate in life here," he said. "We are all to be respected ... and we should be able to get along, take the best of both cultures and blend them and be able to understand them.

"If we only see it from one side, we're going to have a distorted view of the other."

School officials said the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act prevents districts from being able to comment specifically on student punishment.