A 13-year-old student was expelled from school after her mother confronted the school’s principal about a teacher’s racial slur.
Through tears, Brea Persley, a student at Century Academy for Excellence in Inglewood, told her mother that her White science teacher, Kelly Dempsey, told her to “sit your nappy-headed self down” in front of the entire classroom.
After the incident Brea’s mother, Shronda Williams, received a voicemail message from Dempsey who apologized about the episode. However, the principal, Giselle Edman, who is African American, offered no such apology, and instead was quoted as saying she was “happy” that the teacher made the comment and “bad things need to happen to mean kids.”
Williams attempted to hold a meeting with the principal to discuss the incident, but instead received a letter stating that Brea had been expelled from school.
Though the family admits that Brea has been cited in previous incidents for fighting, tardiness, and gum-chewing, the letter sent to Williams claimed the reason for expulsion was “due to the fact that you (Williams) scolded the principal . . . and your daughter used inappropriate language referring to Dr. Edman.”
In addition to finding a new school for Persley, the family is filing a complaint with the school’s accreditation agency.
Principal Edman has declined opportunities to comment.
