Parent alleges teacher victimized student after racial slur incident at Orange County High School

Shamay Bright, a parent of an Orange County High School student, told the Orange County School Board that her child was called a racial slur multiple times over several years and that an incident on March 6, 2025, left her child feeling unsafe after a teacher told him "you deserve it" when he reported the slur.

Bright said multiple witnesses and at least one teacher corroborated her son's account and that initial school interviews aligned with the student's statement. She said school officials later informed her the matter had become a personnel issue; two days after that notice, Bright said she received a call asking whether she could meet the teacher to hear the teacher’s side, a request Bright declined because she said the teacher's account had been found not true. Bright said she was unsatisfied with the school's efforts and questioned how a teacher who responds in that way could fairly teach Black students.

Bright told the board she has repeatedly reported historical occurrences of racial slurs directed at her child and said the latest incident "stripped him of his innocence" and changed how he sees the world. She said her son told her, verbatim, that he did not feel safe at school.

Board members acknowledged the complaint during public comment and staff said the matter had been handled as a personnel issue. No formal board action was recorded during the meeting on this complaint; the parent sought greater accountability and asked about district training for culturally responsive teaching.

The board has not publicly released a disciplinary outcome in the transcripted discussion. The parent asked what consequences the teacher would face and how the district is preparing teachers for culturally responsive instruction; those questions were raised in public comment but no specific remedies or next steps were detailed on the record that evening.