N-word use puts Poulsbo principal on leave
Published 1:50 pm Thursday, January 23, 2014
POULSBO — The principal of Pouslbo Elementary School has been placed on leave while the district investigates her use of the N-word to students.
Superintendent Patty Page says Principal Claudia Alves went on a leave of absence Wednesday that was not considered a disciplinary action.
The Kitsap Sun reports Alves used the N-word with fifth-grade students who were uncomfortable with the word “Negro” while rehearsing a play about Martin Luther King Jr. Alves said “Negro” was not the same as the N-word, and she used the actual word.
Page says it is not acceptable district policy to use the N-word to explain its meaning.
The mother of one of the fifth-graders upset with “Negro,” Shawna Smith, says she complained Jan. 15 because her son heard the principal use the N-word.
