Blacks demand action on slurs

Terry Webster

Friday, Sept. 15, 2000 | 11:58 a.m.

Angry black activists Thursday demanded that Clark County School District officials have zero tolerance for anyone who uses racial slurs.

The directive resulted from allegations from students who claim that an eighth grade geography teacher at Charles I. West Middle School used a racial slur during a class.

"If you don't act, we're going to jack," said Gene Collins, president of the local NAACP. "Children cannot learn in this type of environment. There must be zero tolerance for this kind of foolishness in the district."

Marzette Lewis, founder of the Westside Action Alliance Korps -- Uplifting People, said the black community "will fight this, and not just with words."

Students told their parents the teacher allegedly was relating her life story and said that the phrase, "Eenie meenie miney mo, catch a nigger by the toe," was a common saying while she was growing up. She then told the students that she used to go "nigger fishing."

School officials said the matter was still being looked into, although they would not say what action may be taken.

"It is unacceptable, and we absolutely do not have tolerance for those kinds of remarks," Superintendent Carlos Garcia said.

Garcia acknowledged that he had to apologize several weeks ago by using the term in a different context -- during an attempt to strongly condemn racism.

While addressing a question from students during a radio talk show taping, Garcia said that "niggers come in all colors."

"It is totally inappropriate to use that in the classroom, and we will not tolerate it in any way in the Clark County School District," Garcia said.