Local

Tensions boil over at racially charged school board meeting

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — Residents and leaders discussed two controversial issues Monday night at the Cleveland County School Board meeting.

The first discussion involved children at Burns High School who were suspended for refusing to remove Confederate flags from their cars.

A man is upset because those students were suspended, but a teacher who played a song some consider offensive was not.

A teacher at Washington School in Shelby played the original version of the song  "Oh! Susanna" in front of students. The song is about slavery and the lyrics contain the N-word.

The teacher is still on the job.

“This school admin can't get rid of a teacher for using the N-word but they can get rid of students who flew a flag on their own personal vehicle,” resident Melvin Clark said.

The school district said the students were suspended because "any conduct that would cause a disruption in our educational environment may be subject to discipline.”

A man from the Sons of Confederate Veterans said the teacher must face consequences too.

“No one in their right mind would allow a teacher to continue teaching children who is that racially insensitive and showed such a lack of judgment,” said Steve Brown, with the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Others said the teacher made a mistake but should be given a second chance.