Teacher’s comment comparing protesters to ‘animals’ investigated by NC school system
A North Carolina teacher has come under fire after comparing protesters to animals on social media.
The comment was a response to a Facebook post from a local news station about weekend protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died while being pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer last week, screenshots posted to social media show.
Protests against police brutality have erupted in cities across the country, including several in North Carolina, following Floyd’s death. While some protests in the state remained peaceful, others turned violent, McClatchy News reports. In Charlotte, businesses and property were damaged and 45 were arrested. In Raleigh, windows were broken and buildings were sprayed with graffiti. The National Guard was deployed to the city.
The original post, from WFMY News 2 on Friday, said marchers were moving down Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte and included a link to an article about protests in the city.
“ANIMALS,” the comment from Renee Kimbro reads, according to screenshots. “They’re not making a statement, they’re doing what comes natural.”
The original comment appears to have been deleted.
Kimbro could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
Jenny Faulkner, spokesperson for the Alamance-Burlington School System, told McClatchy News that Kimbro is a second-grade teacher at Audrey Garrett Elementary School in Mebane.
She said Kimbro has worked at the district since 2000 and at the elementary school since 2007.
Several commented on the Facebook post of the screenshots, which had been shared more than 1,800 times as of Monday afternoon, saying they were contacting the school district about the comment.
A Saturday statement from the school system said the district is aware of the comment and that human resources is investigating.
“Sadly, the message posted does not reflect our district’s core values and beliefs that we expect of all of our employees to honor and uphold in service to our community and to our children,” the statement said.
Faulkner confirmed with McClatchy that the comment in the screenshots was the one brought to the district’s attention and the one being investigated.
She also told McClatchy on Monday that Kimbro is suspended with pay as of Saturday pending the investigation, which she said is ongoing.
The district’s statement said it will take “appropriate action” following the results of the investigation.
This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Teacher’s comment comparing protesters to ‘animals’ investigated by NC school system."
