Information that an Ohio highschool instructor was allowed to maintain her job regardless of making racist remarks a few Black principal and bullying a co-worker throughout a board assembly, then being caught on surveillance video pulling her pants down, has sparked backlash from mother and father and neighborhood members.
Sycamore Group Faculties in southwestern Ohio suspended considered one of its academics, Danielle Scrase, for 15 days after investigating a grievance about weird and discriminatory conduct she displayed at a faculty board assembly in September 2024, in response to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Two witnesses reported listening to 54-year-old Scrase make racist statements about Sycamore Excessive Faculty Principal Taylor Porter, who leads the varsity the place she works.
Whereas Porter was taking footage with members of the Black Pupil Union after they delivered a presentation to board members a few networking occasion they attended that includes traditionally Black schools and universities, Scrase reportedly stated, “Oh look, an incompetent Black man taking a photograph,” and “Incompetent Black man shouldn’t be within the image.”
Through the assembly, Scrase additionally texted a colleague, “U know Ur a joke Ceremony? And ur fortunate 2 have ur job and pay.”
On high of that, surveillance video obtained by WCPO captured Scrase pulling her pants down two totally different occasions whereas she was on her technique to the toilet. Data say that she uncovered her “naked buttocks whereas strolling in the direction of the restroom.”
The district initially suspended Scrase from her job for 45 days with out pay, however Scrase challenged the choice.
In a letter to district officers, she stated the grievance about her conduct “incorporates inaccuracies, omits info, takes occasions out of context, and completely disregards my testimony.”
Regarding her feedback about Porter, Scrase admitted to calling him “incompetent” however stated it was a “description” and disputed the declare that her statements have been motivated by race.
“It was spoken quietly to myself and was not inside earshot of any members of the family within the viewers as a result of their chairs have been a number of ft away from the place I used to be sitting,” Scrase wrote in her enchantment.
“Some background,” she added, “I grew up in an Italian household the place speaking aloud to oneself is a part of our tradition.”
The district had beforehand decided that Scrase “needlessly invoked Mr. Porter’s race for no obvious goal apart from to counsel it’s linked to his alleged incompetence,” including that that sort of assertion may “play into the pernicious stereotype that Black folks, and specifically Black leaders, are incompetent as a result of they’re Black.”
Witnesses additionally reported that Scrase smelled like alcohol in the course of the assembly and questioned whether or not that was the reason for her unusual conduct.
“It appeared like she might have been below the affect of medicine or alcohol,” a father or mother wrote to the district. “She was slurring her speech, jumped into a photograph with my little one, although she’s not concerned with my scholar’s group, and even tried to kiss our college students’ advisor.”
In response to these claims, Scrase submitted a physician’s be aware revealing her prescription for muscle relaxants and stated she “unknowingly consumed a combined drink,” which can have contributed to emotions of intoxication. She later admitted to consuming bourbon earlier than the assembly.
Scarse additionally by no means denied the accusations of indecent publicity however stated she went to a distinct space of the constructing the place the board assembly was held and that nobody else was round when she pulled her pants down.
After Sycamore Faculties Superintendent Chad Lewis ordered Scrase’s suspension, Scrase filed a grievance in opposition to him, claiming he has a historical past of retaliatory conduct in opposition to her.
The college board agreed to a compromise: Scrase would dismiss her grievance in opposition to Lewis so long as she promised by no means to speak about it once more. She additionally should attend counseling periods and endure an unbiased medical analysis by a medical skilled with substance use coaching.
In trade, the district would knock her 45-day suspension down to fifteen days and expunge her personnel information of any complaints about her inappropriate conduct.
She returned to work on Jan. 23.
A number of mother and father and neighborhood members leveled questions in opposition to the district at a March 4 college board assembly about why Scarse was even allowed to maintain her job, expressing frustration over the choice to reinstate her.
“What number of of you’ll nonetheless have your job when you walked into your place of job drunk, uncovered your self, bullied a feminine co-worker through textual content message, and made a racially charged remark?” father or mother Brad Comerford stated, including he would take this subject to the NAACP.
“If my youngsters aren’t included and guarded, we’ll go some place else,” Ronnie Hill stated.
“We particularly selected this district as a result of it was a really various inhabitants,” Emmanuel Black stated. “I might hope that the board would rethink and take a look at the content material of the character of this instructor.”
In an announcement concerning the backlash, Sycamore Faculties stated they “perceive the significance of addressing these issues with transparency and accountability.”
“We wish to reaffirm our dedication to fostering a faculty atmosphere the place each scholar and employees member is handled with dignity and feels revered, valued, and supported,” the assertion learn partially. To that finish, our district prohibits discrimination primarily based on race, shade or another legally-protected classification.”
Scrase has labored for the Sycamore college system since 1999 and is president of the Sycamore Training Affiliation, a place she was appointed to in 2017.
