School suspends African-American student for use
of 'n-word'
By Aarika Mack
The Freedom Forum Online
10.18.00
To Nathan Martin, it was a friendly greeting, but according to a
California school district, the “n-word” is unacceptable, even when
it’s not meant as a racial slur.
The school recently suspended Martin, an African-American senior
at Buchanan High School near Fresno for two days after he greeted
another African-American student with, “Whazzup, nigga?”
Since both students are black, Martin considered his use of the
word slang, not hate speech, according to a report in The
Fresno Bee. However, Buchanan High School guidelines
specify that racial slurs such as the “n-word” are unacceptable,
under any circumstances.
“We have two ethnic students who are calling each other words
that would not be acceptable if a white student was calling them
that word,” Rene Errotabere told the newspaper.
“So to be consistent, we are saying that is a racial slur no
matter who speaks it, and we are taking consistent action,” said
Errotabere, an area superintendent with the Clovis Unified School
District.
The incident began when an unidentified white student overheard
Martin greeting 16-year-old Maurice Ward. The student who overheard
the conversation was offended by Martin’s language and reported the
exchange to school officials.
“This was not a racial incident,” Jim Fugman, deputy
superintendent of the district, told The Freedom Forum Online. “This
is an incident of a student using inappropriate language. It’s like
using a curse word.”
Fugman added, “The school district and the school have been
assertive in getting students to stop using that type of language in
school.”
In 1986, the Supreme Court ruled in Bethel School District v.
Fraser that school officials could punish a student who gave a
speech laced with sexual innuendo to a school assembly.
“The First Amendment does not prevent the school officials from
determining that to permit a vulgar and lewd speech such as
respondent’s would undermine the school’s basic educational
mission,” the high court majority wrote. “Surely it is a highly
appropriate function of public school education to prohibit the use
of vulgar and offensive terms in public discourse.”
The lower courts are divided on whether Fraser applies to
student speech that is school-sponsored or to all vulgar and
offensive student speech, even if it is wholly
student-initiated.
Meanwhile, African-American leaders in the Fresno suburb are
backing school officials’ attempts to keep the n-word out of the
schools.
In an Oct.11 report in The Fresno Bee, Kehinde Solwazi, a
professor of African-American studies at Fresno City College, agreed
with the system’s assertion that students should be discouraged from
using racial slurs, even in non-derogatory ways, although he
questioned the severity of the punishment.
“I don’t think African-American children should use the word,”
Solwazi told the newspaper, “When we use the word, we give license
to everyone else. That word should be banned from our language.
“The word is negative and a symbol of oppression. The punishment
is just a little too harsh. That is the only criticism.”
Johnny Nelum, president of the Fresno chapter of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People, told the
newspaper that he was “as guilty as anyone [of using the n-word],
but it still doesn’t make it right. In fact it’s wrong. If we expect
other nationalities to respect us, we have to respect
ourselves.”
Rosemari Martin, Nathan’s mother, says she is concerned about the
effect the suspension will have on her son’s permanent record.
“Nathan is totally upset,” she told the Bee, “I’m worried
about it being on his record, and I’m worried about how he will act
when he goes back to school. Will he have to watch everything he
says and who he says it around?”
As for Martin, he remains puzzled by school officials’ reaction
and his suspension.
“I don’t think I should get in trouble,” he told the newspaper.
“If I’m talking and someone hears it and gets offended, it’s their
problem. They shouldn’t have been listening to our
conversation.”
