‘Trust has been broken.’ NC school board censures member who used slur at meeting.

The Cabarrus County school board voted Monday to censure a member who didn’t realize her microphone was still on as she railed against the district’s remote learning plan and used a derogatory slur during a recent public meeting.

During the Sept. 21 board meeting, Laura Blackwell is heard, while off camera, agreeing with an unidentified person on the call who said young children should not be kept in front of a computer. She used a word that has been used to demean people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

“This is the most r— thing I’ve ever seen. We have done so much detriment to these kids,” she was heard saying. She later apologized and some teachers protested this week, calling for Blackwell’s resignation.

The board approved a resolution Monday condemning Blackwell’s statements as inappropriate, unacceptable and not reflective of the board or the school district’s views and values. The vote also committed the board to participating in training about students with disabilities and if possible, to volunteering with the county’s Special Olympics program.

School board members do not have the authority to remove fellow board members. A censure is similar to a statement or resolution from the body.

Nearly 5,000 people have signed a petition from Cabarrus County Schools teachers demanding the Blackwell resign. Blackwell has not returned emails over the past week from the Observer.

Melanie Miller, executive director of Arc of Union Cabarrus, a non-profit that provides services and advocacy to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, told the board that the use of the term has a long history of being derogatory to people with special needs.

“It reinforces those painful stereotypes of people with intellectual disabilities being less valued members of our society,” Miller said. “Feeling less valued is real. It is not something that happened a long time ago. It is something that is current and present today.”

Blackwell apologized for her comments later during the first meeting and said it reflected the stress and frustration she felt as a board member. During Monday’s called meeting, she said that she had let her emotions get the better of her the week before.

“I appreciate those of you who have given me words of encouragement, she said. “But more so, I appreciate those of you who have criticized me. The past week has been one of contemplation and reflection for me.”

Blackwell also said that many students with disabilities and young children have been the most harmed by virtual learning, and that her goal was to get children back in school safely. She also said that her comments have been taken out of context and that she did not use the word in a derogatory way towards children.

“Over the last week, I have been deeply concerned by the accusations and false narratives that have been directed towards me,” she said. “I’m sad that a word that was taken so far out of context, and insinuated and boldly accused me of calling children, especially those with disabilities, a derogatory name. Put simply, this is not true and I believe most people can see that.”

Earlier on Monday, dozens of Cabarrus County Schools educators gathered outside the district’s administrative building for a rally, calling on the board to take disciplinary action against Blackwell.

Cabarrus Association of Educators president Michelle Rengert said that teachers must conduct themselves as professionals even outside the classroom to uphold high community expectations, and that the district’s elected officers must be held to the same standard.

“The lack of decorum demonstrated at several board meetings and the inappropriate language used shows an utter disregard for the position held, the opinions of others and the community represented,” Rengert said in a statement. “Trust has been broken between the community and the board of education. Serious steps need to be taken in order to restore that trust.”