Mar 25, 2008 5:34 pm US/Eastern
Some Parents Want School Board Member To Step Down
WESTMINSTER, Md. (WJZ) ―
Some angry parents plan to attend a school board meeting in Carroll County Wednesday after a racial slur was uttered by one of the board members.
Suzanne Collins reports some African-American parents say they're glad there was a formal apology, but are bothered that the school board said that Jeffrey Morse doesn't have to step down.
Morse was appointed just last year to the Carroll County school board by Governor O'Malley. He was on sight in Manchester where a new high school is being built when he made the racial slur. African-American parents were outraged.
"That's why he should be removed or he should have to step down because he's not a person who needs to be teaching our kids," said Carroll County parent Katrina Cobb.
School board member Morse was referring to the very dark colored rock that costs much more to excavate. He says it's referred to in the construction industry by a certain name. But that word offended many.
Morse tells
Eyewitness News, "I made a mistake, I was wrong."
He has apologized to school staff members who were with him that day and complained.
The head of the Carroll County NAACP met with Morse about it last week.
"I find it offensive to have used that term in any terminology. More importantly he represents the Carroll County Board of Education. It makes me wonder how he will view other minority students when he makes a comment like that," said Jean Lewis with the NAACP.
Lewis says she understands why parents are expressing concern that chairman Cynthia Foley and others didn't accept Morse's offer of resignation.
"By not accepting it, they kind of condone that behavior and it's just not right," said senior Juliana Cochran.
Morse agreed to a plan with the NAACP to attend several meetings to better understand how his comments were offensive to people.
Parents say they're hoping to be allowed to address board members at Wednesday's meeting at 2 p.m.
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