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An Oregon principal was fired after allegedly berating students who refused to attend classes on the holiday celebrating Indigenous people.
The firing of Casey Jackson, the principal and superintendent of Siletz Valley School, was prompted by her reaction to a student walkout on Indigenous Peoples Day, Oct. 9, according to the Oregonian.
The Siletz Valley School has a predominantly Indigenous student body. It’s located outside the Siletz Indian Reservation.
The K-12 school opened as a charter school in 2003, the school's website states. Siletz Valley School enrolls 200 students, including about 75 in high school.
The protest was fueled by a school policy requiring students to attend classes on Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Per the Oregonian, the firing of Casey Jackson, the principal of Siletz Valley School’s and the superintendent of Siletz Valley Schools was prompted by her reaction to a student protest on Indigenous Peoples Day, Oct. 9th. (Google Maps)
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"More than a quarter of the students walked out in protest," the Oregonian reported.
A day after the protest, Jackson reportedly "berated" the students for walking out when she called them over a speaker to a meeting. The interaction was captured on a recording.
Jackson was fired on Dec. 14 when the board announced its decision at a school board meeting. In addition, the firings came after seven formal complaints against Jackson.
"After a lot of tough conversations, the decision was made by the board to terminate Mrs. Jackson’s employment from the Siletz Valley Schools," Board Chair Willie Worman said in an email first obtained by Underscore News.
Worman went on to say, "This was not an easy decision. However, the board came to the conclusion that this is what would be best for our school, teachers, community and students going forward."
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Siletz Valley School has a predominantly Indigenous student body. It’s located outside the Siletz Indian Reservation. (Francesco Fotia/AGF/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A 16-year-old student who participated in the protest told Underscore News that the holiday is "a day of trauma."
"I want people to understand what Indigenous Peoples Day is and why we felt so strong about it," the student, named Zoey Howard, said.
"It is a day of trauma. It’s meant to celebrate Indigenous people for what we’ve been through. And I want people to know that’s why we walked out."
Students were able to address Jackson at a school board meeting on October 24. At that school board meeting, officials decided to honor Indigenous Peoples Day and Orange Shirt Day. Jackson was also placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
Siletz Valley School enrolls 200 students, including about 75 in high school.
The board expects Jackson to file a lawsuit over claims of discrimination, the Oregonian reported.
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"We more than half expect litigation," Worman said.
"I can confirm that we investigated the issues and decided to terminate Casey’s employment based on the fact that we determined the school can’t successfully move forward under her leadership."
Siletz Valley School officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.