STOCKTON, Calif. — A Stockton grandfather says he was the target of a racial attack from a staff member at Christa McAuliffe Middle School.
"I'm still in a nightmare when I think about it," Jerome Green told ABC10 about the Feb. 24 incident. "It's like a whirlwind is like, you know, why did this happen?"
Green said he was dropping his granddaughter off at school and was walking through the parking lot on campus.
"One of the teachers — I didn't know she was a teacher at the time — pulled up aggressively to back into a parking place," he said.
Green said that, after seeing this, he cautioned his granddaughter about walking forward and gestured to the teacher to carry on backing into the spot.
"At that time, you know, she told me to move the "eff" on, you know, and she used some profanity," he said.
Green said things started to escalate quickly after he let the teacher carry on with her parking.
"We ended up passing the parking lot. And as we pass a parking lot and she said, 'you made me f***ing late,'" Green said. "And then she said, 'I'm not scared of you.'"
Green said the N-word was used too.
Green says this verbal assault continued for some time — while also happening in front of his 12-year-old granddaughter — resulting in other staff members having to step in and try to de-escalate the situation.
"I said, you know, I don't even know you and I don't know why you're doing this, but, you know, please stop. My granddaughter's right here," Green said. "And she got a little more aggravated and she pushed me at my chest with two hands in front of my granddaughter and continued to curse and use the N-word multiple times."
At this point, Green said staff moved the incident into the principal's office. On the way to the office, Green said the teacher continued her verbal attack on him.
"My whole concern was that she was able to continue working and no teachers should be in front of any child with that type of personality and character ever," he said.
Green said he has filed a police report for the assault with the Stockton Police Department. Stockton police said they have the report but wouldn't comment.
The public information officer for the Lodi Unified School District released the following statement to ABC10 when asked about the incident:
"While the District does not comment on personnel matters, we want to be clear that our District has policies and practices in place to make sure that our students can learn and staff can work in an environment free from bullying, harassment, and discrimination. We do not condone discrimination towards any individual or group."
Other racial events at area schools
The Sacramento City Unified School District announced on Feb. 17 that a student was responsible for a racist language written above C.K. McClatchy High School water fountains.
A student wrote the word "white" above one designed as a bottle filler and the word "colored" written above the standard fountain.
Also in February of this year, the Sacramento City Unified School District said racist messages were found on a wall at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
A spokesperson for the district confirmed to ABC10 that it included the N-word, "KKK" and swastikas.
“It is appalling that anyone would target a school with racist graffiti and subject students, staff and families to messages of hate,” Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jorge Aguilar said in a statement.
Plus, a teacher with Sacramento City Unified School District was suspended without pay after being recorded using the N-word in a class with 7th graders at Kit Carson International Academy.
