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Parents urge Mahomet-Seymour board to reaffirm inclusion after student used racial slur
Summary
At a March 3 special meeting, parents told the Mahomet-Seymour CUSD 3 Board of Education they want the district to protect minority students, instruct staff on supporting diverse needs and maintain anti-discrimination policies after a parent reported her son learned a racial slur at school.
Several parents told the Mahomet‑Seymour CUSD 3 Board of Education at a special March 3 meeting that the district should reaffirm commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion and strengthen staff training after incidents of racially charged language involving students.
Andrea Singh, a local business owner and mother of two district students, said her son was told the n-word during an altercation and that the word is “heard” by children in town and online. “To say I was horrified is an understatement,” Singh said, adding that the episode prompted a family conversation about the history of the word.
Singh said the district’s 2024 report card lists minority enrollment at about 10 percent—roughly 342 students—and that about 4 percent of students identify as two or more races. She told the board she wants the district to “continue to uphold its responsibility to the students of this district, and more specifically, to the minority students of this district.”
Melissa Daley, a parent, PTO volunteer and substitute teacher, urged the board and superintendent to “reaffirm the values of our district” and to ensure staff receive training, to maintain policies that protect students from discrimination and harassment, and to continue resources to support students who are new to the country, have disabilities or face other vulnerabilities. “School should be a place where every child feels safe and valued,” Daley said.
Both speakers referenced national political pressure on DEI programs; Singh said certain executive orders targeting DEI are “not legal” and Daley mentioned public calls by elected officials to report schools that maintain DEI efforts. Neither speaker described any specific change to district policy from state or federal authorities in effect at the time of the meeting.
No formal board action was taken on the public comments during the meeting. Several speakers asked the board to clarify and publicly restate district expectations for staff conduct and student supports.
