What disciplinary action did the Calcasieu Parish School Board take with the assistant principal who used racial slurs with students at Barbe Elementary School, and is she still employed by the School Board?

School system officials didn’t say what disciplinary action, if any, was taken against the assistant principal. But the system’s spokeswoman said the administrator would remain in her post.

“The Barbe Elementary assistant principal will continue to serve in that role at the school,” Holly Holland wrote in an email.

“Calcasieu Parish School Board policies and procedures were followed in handling the investigation and subsequent disposition of the matter.”

The mother of a Barbe Elementary student said in a Facebook post in late April that the school’s assistant principal had directed a racial epithet at a group of children.

In a story published in the American Press on May 2, Barbe Elementary Principal Sharon Ruffin-Hardy said the allegation was being investigated.

The assistant principal, Laura Nelson, is African-American, as were the children involved in the alleged incident.

According to the School Board’s policy manual, such investigations involve “one or more persons” appointed by the superintendent “to make the necessary inquiries” and submit a report.

School Board members, the policy manual says, can’t “participate in any manner in an investigation,” and the superintendent must “use every means possible to protect School Board personnel from unwarranted personal criticism.”

How complaints of employee misconduct are to be handled, as listed to the policy manual:

1. The Superintendent or his/her designee may order such investigation to be conducted in each instance as is warranted by the circumstances.

2. The investigation shall be conducted by the Superintendent or his/her designee. These rules contemplate informal but thorough investigations, affording all interested persons and their representatives, if any, an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to the complaint. Staff members or students may be interviewed if it is deemed essential to the investigation.

3. The Superintendent or his/her designee shall confer with each accused employee’s immediate supervisor concerning the results of the investigation and the immediate supervisor shall discuss the matter with the employee.

4. A written determination as to the validity of the complaint and a description of the resolution, if any, shall be issued by the Superintendent or designee and a copy forwarded to the complainant within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances of the alleged complaint.

5. If charges are substantiated, disciplinary action may be taken in accordance with Board policy, based upon investigative evidence gathered, which may include termination of employment of the employee.  Any disciplinary action shall be placed in the offender’s personnel file which will reflect the action taken and the grounds thereof.

www.cpsb.org.