According to sources close to the investigation, Wayne County Public Schools officials said the district has found no substantiation to support claims filed by several teachers at Goldsboro High School that allege an order from the school’s principal for selected staff to read a controversial essay on “white privilege” — and report instances of that privilege in the building — created a hostile work environment and constitutes discrimination.
Those who filed the complaints were interviewed by WCPS HR personnel, and some of the dozen-plus teachers and administrators who were required, by Christopher D. Horne, to complete the assignment, were summoned to Central Office to answer questions posed by the district’s legal team.
Sixteen GHS teachers — and all three of the school’s administrators — were a part of Horne’s professional development group. Six of them are white.
The assignment also included instructions for staff to write a “cultural autobiography” and share it with colleagues.
It is unclear if those who filed the complaints intend to appeal the decision under the district’s investigation protocol. Should they do so, the investigation would be turned over to the superintendent and, potentially, the school board.
The board meets Monday at 3:30 p.m. at the WCPS Administrative Building, located at 2001 E. Royall Ave. To view the agenda, click here and follow the “Useful Links” menu on the right.
