A recent decision by the Wausau School Board in Wisconsin has left the local community outraged. The board renewed the contract of Robert Perkins, a Wausau East High School band instructor, despite allegations that he directed racial and homophobic slurs towards a gay student of Hmong-Lao descent. This controversial move came after nearly 30 speakers testified in support of the student at a school board meeting on Monday night.
School Board Dismisses Complaints
The student and his parents filed an official complaint of harassment and discrimination against Perkins on April 5. The instructor was placed on leave on April 10. However, Superintendent Keith Hilts dismissed the complaint after an investigation, and Perkins returned to work. In a letter, Hilts acknowledged that Perkins engaged in “insensitive and unprofessional conduct,” but he stated that the language used did not rise to the level of discrimination or harassment.
Community and Former Students Speak Out
On April 27, Asian-American leaders in Wausau released an open letter addressing the Wausau School District’s investigation. They expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, stating that it sends a strong message that using racist, sexist, and homophobic slurs is permissible as long as they are made in good faith. A petition demanding Perkins’s termination has received over 3,000 signatures, according to the Wausau Daily Herald.
During the school board meeting, several supporters of the student and his family shared their own allegations of Perkins’s misconduct. Former student Olivia Torrez claimed that Perkins used racially charged and demeaning nicknames to refer to her and her brother. She also alleged that after learning she was bisexual, Perkins sexualized her and other women.
Katherine Plier, a queer Chinese American music director and 2016 graduate of Wausau East High, drove 300 miles to speak at the meeting. She described her experiences with Perkins’s bullying, racism, and homophobia during her time at the school.
Next Steps for the Community
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has reportedly opened a misconduct investigation into Perkins. The department has the power to revoke a teacher’s license if necessary. Meanwhile, the student’s father, Thavone Vongphakdy, stated that more former Wausau East students have contacted the family with stories of Perkins’s harassment, and they are working to compile these stories for the appropriate authorities.