Ohio Teacher Gets Contract Terminated for Racial Statement about President Obama
One Cincinnati teacher, Gil Voigt is accused of making a racist
remark to a black student and he lost his job after a labor hearing.
Gil Voigt was a Fairfield Freshman School science teacher
since 2000. He has been on unpaid leave since December when he told a student
who had professed his desire to follow in the footsteps of President Barack
Obama that "we do not need another black president."
A state referee from
the Fairfield Board of Education said Thursday "There is good and just
cause to terminate the teaching contract.” The board voted 4-0 to end his
employment with the Butler County school system.
Voigt said the student had misquoted him in the Dec. 3
incident.
He later told Fairfield officials that what he said to the
teen was "I think we can't afford another president like Obama, whether
he's black or white."
That doesn’t sound right and if he did the black student
would not get upset if he had added: “black or white.”
Voigt’s personnel file was reviewed and here’s what they
found:
- 1
In 2008, he was accused of calling a student an
"African-American Rudolph" while aiming a laser pointer at the pupil.
- 2
In 2013 he received a verbal warning after being
accused of calling one student "stupid" and others "gay,"
- 3
In December, he was warned for failing to use
the adopted curriculum.
A Fairfield Superintendent also recommended that the board
discontinue the veteran teacher's employment contract.
"The district
felt that the evidence was sufficient to support the termination of Mr. Voigt's
employment. The referee recommended such termination, and the board has
concurred," Otten said in a statement.
Fairfield City School District, north of Cincinnati, has
about 9,500 students; almost 1 in 6 is black.
He’s officially inducted in the Tainted Teachers: Teachers
Hall of Shame!
