By Stephanie Gallman, CNN
(CNN) – A Texas teacher has been “suspended without pay pending discharge” after accusations that she sent racially charged tweets about the incidents in Ferguson, Missouri, a representative for Dallas Independent Schools said in a press conference.
Vinita Hegwood, a high school English teacher at Duncanville High School near Dallas, allegedly sent the tweets from her personal Twitter account Friday.
“Who the (expletive) made you dumb (expletive) crackers think I give a squat (expletive) about your opinions. #Ferguson Kill yourselves,” read one of the messages.
Later that evening another tweet appeared, saying, “You exhibit nigga behavior, I’m a call you a nigga. You acting crackerish, I’m a call you a cracker.” Hegwood is African-American.
It’s not clear exactly to what or whom she was referring, but the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, have often hinged on race, as Michael Brown was a Black teen killed by Officer Darren Wilson, a white policeman. A grand jury is expected to decide soon if Wilson will face charges.
Hegwood is in her second year at Duncanville High School, where she maintained a website for her students, www.englishandelephants.com.
The Twitter account from which she allegedly made the comments has since been taken down. Hegwood did not immediately respond to CNN’s calls and emails seeking comment.
Lari Barager, Duncanville Independent School District spokeswoman, called the messages “offensive” and “reprehensible” and stressed the tweets do not represent the 240 other teachers at Duncanville High School.
The swiftness and severity with which administrators acted demonstrate how seriously they view the incident, Barager said. It’s rare to be suspended without pay, the fullest disciplinary action allowed under district policy, she said.
Hegwood began meeting with administrators Monday at 7:15 a.m. By 8:30 a.m., “there was a conclusion and this decision had been made,” Barager said.
District employees do have the right to free speech, Barager said, but Hegwood’s comments were so egregious, the school was left with “no other option.”
