LAURENS COUNTY, Ga. — The Laurens County Board of Education voted 3-2 on Friday to reduce punishment for five white male students who spelled out a racial slur at a football game in September.
At the meeting, the board voted to set punishment for the students, including:
- 1 semester at alternative school (with the students returning to regular public school on Jan. 5, 2023)
- 40 hours of community service
- 8 hours of diversity training
In a 3-2 vote, these requirements were approved and the meeting was adjourned.
Members Kevin Malone, Kathy Sweat and Tony Johnson voted yes; Kenny Payne and Jarvis Wilcher voted not to reduce the students' punishment.
After the decision, the parents held a private meeting with Superintendent Clifford Garnto to talk about next steps.
Some people who live in the community were not pleased with the decision.
Pastor Willie Edwards, who is a native of Laurens county, said he is very dissatisfied with the board’s ruling.
"The principal imposed a punishment of suspension which was alternative school for the rest of the year. The tribunal upheld that ruling, and now the board has voted to decrease that ruling," he said.
Edwards also said the community service and diversity training stipulations were not enough.
"They also offered them only 8 hours of diversity training for the young men, when honestly the entire county on the East side and West side needs to go through some diversity training. All of our students, not just these young men. And for a period of only 8 hours. And only 40 hours of community service. We have no idea where that community service will be held, and we are sorely displeased with the board," he continued.
Parents and other community members were outraged by the photo taken at a Laurens County football game by students in September.
The students were pictured with their chests painted with letters that spelled out a five-letter version of the N-word.
After the initial incident, the board did release a statement, which said that the boys did not represent the district's values.
At the time, Garnto did not state any discipline for the students, but said "every action has consequences." But parents told 13WMAZ that the students were sent to the district's alternative school.
The Dublin-Laurens County NAACP released the following statement in response to the decision:
"The Dublin-Laurens County NAACP doesn’t support the recent decision by the Laurens County Board of Education to reduce the punishment of the five (5) West Laurens students. The students posed for a photo while spelling out a racial slur painted on their chests. We find this to be unacceptable and disappointing.
This decision sends the wrong message to the community and to the student body. We are calling for the resignations of all three (3) Board Members that voted to reduce the administration's recommendations for these five (5) students."
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