Black River Falls Teacher's Aid Resigns After Racist Comments

Friday, February 17th, 2023 -- 11:00 AM

(Frank Vaisvilas, Green Bay Press-Gazette) -A teacher’s aide who made racist comments to a Ho-Chunk student has apologized and resigned, the superintendent of the Black River Falls School District confirmed with the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

“We are deeply sorry that this has happened and we are committed to the success of all our students and expect all staff members to uphold that commitment each and every day,” said Superintendent Shelly Severson.

A relative of the Ho-Chunk high school student had posted a video on Facebook less than 10 seconds long that showed the aide saying to the student: “I don’t care if you get a D-minus. You’re Native, right? Collect your check. You don’t have to give two (expletive) about your future. So, why should I care?”

Severson said the following in a message to the school community: “Please know that the statements made in the video in no way represent the views or beliefs of the (Black River Falls School District).”

Tribal education officials in Wisconsin see this as a teaching moment. “Clearly, the aide needs to receive extensive education and the student who shared information needs to be honored,” said Barb Munson, who leads the Mascot Task Force with the Wisconsin Indian Education Association, which is working to end the use of Native American race-based mascots by more than two dozen school districts in the state. Munson, an Oneida Nation citizen, said she had experienced racist incidents when she was a student at Wisconsin public schools.

“The Black River Falls School District and the Ho-Chunk Nation now have an opportunity to make meaningful improvements to education in a myriad of ways, including by providing a model of excellence in building and maintaining positive intercultural/interracial relationships in social institutions,” Munson said. “May they embrace the challenge and create an exemplary process.”

The city of Black River Falls, in western Wisconsin, is where many tribal offices for the Ho-Chunk Nation are located.

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