Mississippi Teacher Fired Over Racist Facebook Rant Claims She Was Hacked
A Mississippi elementary school teacher was fired after a racist rant appeared on her Facebook page, which she later claimed was hacked.
Cammie Rone, a second-grade instructor at Batesville Intermediate School in Batesville, Mississippi, lost her job Tuesday after the South Panola School District investigated accusations of disparaging comments made from her Facebook account, CBS-affiliate WREG reported. Rone later deleted the post.
"If blacks in this country are so offended no one is forcing them to stay here," the post read, "why don't they pack up and move back to Africa where they will have to work for a living. I am sure our government will pay for it! We pay for everything else."
The ex-teacher defended herself in a subsequent Facebook post that claimed she had been hacked. Her posts usually consisted of notes about home improvement and recipes rather than racism, Rone said.
"I think I have been hacked," the post read. "I keep getting messages about racist posts but when I go to my page I can’t see it. Someone screenshotted and sent me. If anyone knows me I post about cows recipes and home improvements stuff not racism. Please know I have not posted or made any kind of racist comments."
Before the school relived her, parents suggested she shouldn’t be allowed to teach at the school because of the comments. The administration placed Rone on paid leave Monday before dismissing her.
"I don’t feel right with her teaching him," Keboni Anderson told WREG. "She came [across] to me as a good person and then when I read the comment, it rubbed me the wrong way."
Another parent stated that she experienced issues with Rone before the incident.
"And then for you to be in a public school system!" parent Tammie Thornton told WREG. "One where we've got black students, we've got white students, and we've got other students, you should not go on social media and say anything pertaining to race. I don't think her account was hacked. I really don't."
The school’s employee code of conduct prohibited verbal abuse, both online or in person, WREG reported. Any employee that breached the code of conduct would be reprimanded depending on the severity of the violation. Punishment ranged from a written warning to termination.
"Unseemly dress, conduct, or use of abusive or foul or profane language in the presence of students is expressly prohibited and will not be tolerated," the code of conduct read. "With the prevalence of technology and social networking, professional conduct must be maintained in these areas as well to protect individuals’ rights and the integrity of the institution."
Rone studied elementary education at the University of Mississippi and attended South Panola High School as a youth, according to her Facebook page. She can still refute her dismissal and appeal the school district’s decision by appearing before the school board, the school said.
Cammie Rone, a second grade teacher at Batesville Intermediate School in Mississippi, was fired after a racist rant was posted from her Facebook page. Photo: Batesville Intermediate School
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