Student Suspended for Filming Teacher Using Racial Slur Wants Apology

A Missouri student suspended for filming her teacher repeatedly using a racial slur wants an apology and the suspension expunged from her record, the student's attorney told Newsweek.

Mary Walton, a 15-year-old sophomore at Glendale High School in Springfield, returned to school Wednesday after a three-day suspension that the school district said was for improper use of an electronic device. "She wants things to go back to normal in her daily life," Natalie Hull, the Walton family's attorney, said.

The teacher, who had worked for the district since 2008, was initially placed on administrative leave after the video of May 9 incident circulated online. He has since resigned, a spokesperson for Springfield Public Schools confirmed.

The school district quoted the student handbook policy about inappropriate use of an electronic device as grounds for Walton's suspension. But the move sparked a backlash, with supporters saying Walton had been exercising her free-speech rights.

Hull said it is unfair that the teacher, who has not been publicly named, was allowed to resign, while Walton has a suspension on her school record.

"He is very unlikely to have any type of mark on his employment record from this," Hull added. "However, Mary gets a black mark on her school records—despite the pivotal role she played in bringing his misconduct to light."

Walton told her mother and others that she began recording after the teacher "interjected himself" in a conversation that students were having about the n-word and said the slur several times, Hull said.

The video captures him saying it twice, and he stopped when he saw that she was recording, she said.

Walton shared the video with her mother, a friend and a classmate who was in the video to ask for advice on what to do next. She explained she does not know how it ended up on social media, Hull said. Walton was heading to school on Friday when she found out she was suspended.

Hull said Walton and her family are now hoping the district will apologize to her and reconsider its stance on expunging the suspension from her record.

"This is an opportunity for the school to teach their students to acknowledge that everyone can make a mistake; anyone can overreact, or react in the wrong way; and when there is a way to fix it, you should," Hull added.

"There is no embarrassment in admitting when you are wrong and apologizing. In this case, we feel they overreacted in how they handled things with Mary, and they should apologize. Schools want students to do the right thing. Mary did. Now, we are asking the school to do that, too," Hull said.

Stephen Hall, a spokesperson for Spring Public Schools, told Newsweek that the district could not disclose specifics about actions taken in response to the "unacceptable classroom incident." He said in a statement that the student handbook is clear about consequences for inappropriate use of electronic devices.

The student handbook prohibits pupils from using them to record faculty, staff or other students without prior approval.

Punishment for a first offense ranges from a meeting between parents and a teacher or administrator up to a three-day, out-of-school suspension, the handbook states.

"Any consequences applied per the scope and sequence would also consider if minors are identifiable in the recording and what, if any, hardships are endured by other students due to a violation of privacy with the dissemination of the video in question," Hall said.

The district is confident that it "appropriately and promptly handled all matters related to what occurred at Glendale," Hall added.

"We want our schools to be safe and welcoming learning environments. When students have concerns, they should follow the appropriate steps for reporting."

In a message to school staff and families last week, Glendale Principal Josh Groves said the comments expressed in the video were "inappropriate, inexcusable and do not meet the professional standards for Springfield Public Schools employees."