It was recorded, shared on social media, and investigated. Sensitivity training was ordered, and the students, the educators and administrators, and the parents now hope to move forward with a better understanding.
Local media outlets reported last week that Justin Sleutz, principal of St. Clairsville High School, used the term while discussing with students the lyrics of music now produced by national recording artists. Once the use of the term was discovered by Jerry Moore II, president of the Belmont County NAACP an investigation was launched.
Following a meeting between Moore and school district officials, the training was the chosen remedy, and Superintendent Walt Skaggs said, “We have met with the NAACP and we’re working closely with them on what happened. We do not condone it, and our goal is obviously to get some sensitivity training for our staff and students so we can prevent this from happening again.”
That’s in St. Clairsville, Ohio. Across the Ohio River in Ohio County, Superintendent Dr. Kim Miller has reviewed the “Hard R” situation and she agrees with the action taken in the St. Clairsville-Richland School District.
“It’s a shame that it happened in any school, and if it were to happen in one of ours, sensitive training would certainly be at least a suggestion,” she said. “Of course, it would have to be an investigated situation all the way around. One reason why it’s so unfortunate is because there’s no place for the term in our schools, period. There is not a valid reason that exists.
“Once all the facts have been determined, we then would have to go to our staff, our educators, and to our students so a discussion could take place,” Miller continued. “That way, the message would be clear to everyone at the same time, but now that it has taken place here in our area, hopefully no one else will need to address this issue in the future.”
Necessary Conversation
“I will not use that word ever again. I will not use that word ever again. I will not use that word ever again. I will not use that word ever again. I will not use that word ever again.”
Most of today’s parents and grandparents will recall a time when a popular form of punishment for disruptive in-classroom involved writing over and over on an old-school chalkboard what a student would NOT do again in the future.
So, is that what today’s sensitivity training includes these days? Of course not, but it does mean lessons need to be learned, and, according to Miller, the education would be delivered by an outside expert.
“We would need to bring someone in so they can discuss how that term makes people feel all the way around, and why the term should not be used in a classroom or anywhere else for that matter,” the Ohio County superintendent explained. “I don’t believe one person can feel the same way as someone else feels when that term is used in their presence. That’s why it just has no place in our classrooms.
“It is unfortunate that it happened in one of our local schools, but now we all have to learn from it because that’s where we are right now,” Miller said. “It’s important we all move forward in the right direction.”
Miller has been the superintendent for Ohio County School since she was hired in July 2016, and during her tenure, she has promoted open conversation between the student body and their educators.
“I believe we’re making progress and that’s because we’re talking about it. It’s not being pushed aside and that’s why, here we are, discussing it,” Miller said. “It did happen and it has to be addressed the way it is because it impacts all of us. Now, we have to figure out how to move forward in a respectful way without ignoring it., but we know where we are right now, and we know where we need to be and that’s the goal.”
“It’s being addressed and it’s being examined, and then we’ll be able to move forward with that lesson learned,” she said. “That’s what is really important right now. People want to move forward quickly, but we can’t do that without a total understanding on all levels. Once that’s accomplished, I’m all for moving forward. We know words can be harmful and the ‘Hard R’ most definitely is one of those words.”
