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Rockdale parent says children saw “whites only/colored only” signs at Honey Creek; district investigating
Summary
At a Rockdale County Board work session a parent described children seeing racially segregated signage in a school cafeteria and at fountains; district officials said an investigation is under way and parents say they have received no detailed notification.
A Rockdale County parent told the school board at its April work session that students at Honey Creek Elementary found signs above water fountains and in the cafeteria reading “white only” and “colored only,” and that children were traumatized by the incident.
Nikisha Wade, who identified herself as a parent, said her children came home describing the signs and that school officials had told her the incident was part of a “lesson plan.” “That is highly offensive the way that it was delivered,” Wade said. She told the board she and other parents had not received a clear notification from the district and asked the district to “look into it deeply.”
Adi Gaiden, who said she had contacted Honey Creek to verify the story, urged the board to treat the matter seriously and not dismiss it as a prank. “It's not a prank. And we need we want everyone in this county to understand that we do not consider it a prank,” Gaiden said.
Superintendent Chesser (presenting the cabinet update) acknowledged the public comment portion of the meeting and staff said an investigation into the incident is under way. The parent who spoke said she had been told an investigation was occurring but that she and other parents had not received substantive notification beyond a general statement that the matter was being looked into.
Board members did not take an immediate vote or issue a written resolution at the work session. The board’s public-comment rules were read earlier in the meeting, noting that the administration may be asked to address concerns raised during public comment and that personnel matters have a separate grievance procedure.
The comments came during the meeting’s public‑comment period. District staff did not provide specific findings or a timeline for the investigation in the work session presentation. The parent asked the board to identify who approved the lesson plan if the signs were part of classroom instruction and asked that counseling be made available to children who were upset.
The record of the meeting shows the district has opened a review; the parent said she expects the district to provide parents with more complete information about what happened and who authorized any material used in classrooms.
If the district issues a formal update or corrective action, that would typically appear on a future meeting agenda or in a superintendent’s communication to families.
