Approximately October 19, 2020, the first day of returning to physical school from distance learning due to COVID 19, the following took place:

While the eighth grade algebra teacher Laura Clarkson was collecting assignments from students, she didn’t know a particular student’s last name, Laura Clarkson proceeded to ask the student; “What is your name?”  The student replied with a Hispanic surname to which Laura Clarkson replied; “Okay Southside.”  Referring to a Hispanic student as “Southside” is racist, disparaging, degrading, and derogatory;  the slur Southside is commonly used by NON Hispanic people towards Hispanic people in the Greater San Antonio Metro area in a negative aspect due to the dense Hispanic population, high level of crime, and poverty in that particular area of San Antonio.  It is also used as a racial slur towards Hispanic people.

Appropriately, the Principal, Vernon Simmons was notified, a so-called investigation lasting less than one day was supposedly conducted yielding negative results in favor of the student as Laura Clarkson obviously denied saying such a thing, and the student was subsequently moved to a different teacher’s class for algebra.  Laura Clarkson remains in her position as eighth grade algebra teacher and there has been zero accountability for her racist and degrading remarks.

This petition requests the immediate termination of Laura Clarkson for her negative actions towards the Hispanic population, there must be accountability now.

Please sign this potion and help the student get justice and make public school safe for all children to learn free of racial degradation and harassment by staff.