slur during last nights FCPS Board mtg

[Anonymous]

Where is this apology posted?

[Anonymous]

Over at MCPS, a current board member used it, to refer to people. She did apologize:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/md-school-official-apologizes-for-reference-to-people-with-intellectual-disabilities/2017/11/14/a67427dc-c96f-11e7-b0cf-7689a9f2d84e_story.html


The term "brake retarder" is used on signs on highways to notify trucks not to use what they call a "Jake brake".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is this apology posted?

E-mail KKG and she will send you her apology. Others have posted it on Twitter.

[Anonymous]

Last night during our October 20, 2022 Fairfax County School Board meeting, I said something that I deeply regret. While I did not intend an offensive word to refer to any particular person or the parent community, I did insult my fellow school board members, and in turn, offended members of the community. I thought the board should allow a parent to finish her point and was frustrated with the outcome.

I know that word has historically been used to ridicule and demean others in ways that run counter to my beliefs and the work I’ve championed as a School Board member.

I deeply apologize for my words because that’s not what is in my heart. I have reached out to my colleagues on the board to ask for their forgiveness, too. I can only hope that the community will reflect on my entire body of work and find a way to forgive my lapse at that moment.
[i]
Karen

Karen Keys-Gamarra

Karen Keys-Gamarra, At-Large Member

Fairfax County Public School Board

Email: [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:KKG has no interest beyond black administrators, staff and students. She needs to apologize for this slur. As someone who is supposed to care for all students, it is beyond inappropriate. The board wven did a resolution last year or the year before about how this word is a slur! She knows better even if she grew up with this term like many of us did in the 70s and 80s.

The PP who described the speaker situation above was wrong. John Foster said it wild be a speaker substitution despite the power of attorney and it would require a vote to suspend the rules. The parlimentarian agreed. Why didn’t that speaker identify herself as a substitute up front? Rachna read the rules very clearly that said no speaker substitution. They needed to follow the process and that’s whay they did.

On a side note, the no substitution change is ridiculous and should never have happened.

[Anonymous]

October 21, 2022

Dear FCPS Community,

It has come to our attention that an inappropriate word was used at our October 20, 2022, School Board meeting. At-large Board Member Karen Keys-Gamarra has apologized for using an ableist slur that is offensive to not only the disability community but to our entire community. To be clear, it is unacceptable under any circumstances to use that word and we will be meeting to discuss this matter with her further.

We apologize for the hurt and offense this incident has caused in our community. The School Board is committed to fostering a responsive, caring, and inclusive culture where all feel valued, supported, and hopeful. The School Board Governance Manual establishes expectations of school board members to act with respect to community members.

Sincerely,

Fairfax County School Board

[Anonymous]

I'm so happy my kids are in high school and almost done. People have lost their minds. What she said was inappropriate, but she doesn't need to resign.

[Anonymous]

Parents and the community should know that the disgust for special education students goes from the school board down to the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm so happy my kids are in high school and almost done. People have lost their minds. What she said was inappropriate, but she doesn't need to resign.

Just as a hypothetical, would your position on her resigning change if she had instead uttered a racial or sexual preference slur? Seriously curious.

[Anonymous]

Her "apology" is lacking. She makes no mention of the disability community. Her focus is on explaining why she used it out of frustration, and reads like she is trying to justify herself. "I thought the board should allow a parent to finish her point and was frustrated with the outcome"

A huge part of an appology is being willing to listen to the other persons perspective on how they were affected

This part can be challenging because 1) someone doesn't actually have regret for what they said and or/ 2) their fears and feelings of shame or guilt can be increased during this part of the apology,

She and the school board should let the parents and students know that they have space to share anything about how KKG's statements hurt them. This is where she could learn her own limitations in understanding others and could experience growth as the offender.

There are ways that this statement affected parents and students that she is not aware of, and they need to express this to truly feel that their experience has been understood. When this does not happen, we will continue to hear things like “you still don’t get it” or “you never understand me”.

[Anonymous]

None of these clowns care about our kids. Not her or any other SB members and the would-be Republicans don’t care either, as judged by their actions during that recorded board meeting Zoom call. They’re all terrible.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand how someone who can use that word so easily can be in charge of or have impact on education for disabled kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None of these clowns care about our kids. Not her or any other SB members and the would-be Republicans don’t care either, as judged by their actions during that recorded board meeting Zoom call. They’re all terrible.

Exactly. We should elect independent SB members that have no political affiliation and get rid of stupid politics in our schools.

[Anonymous]

Overreaction

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand how someone who can use that word so easily can be in charge of or have impact on education for disabled kids.

+1. But her time in the board doesn’t show she cares about anything but promoting herself (barely shows up for meetings but makes time for photo opps).