Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Justin Carissimo

Teacher fired after posting racist Facebook messages about Michelle Obama

Jane Wood Allen, a former Georgia school teacher’s aide, was terminated by Forsyth County School District after posting multiple, racist Facebook posts calling Michelle Obama a "gorilla."

The district announced on Monday that she was terminated and is no longer an employee of the school system. “Racism and discrimination are not tolerated in our school district,” the district wrote in a statement on Facebook. “We are committed to ongoing staff training on the acceptance of all individuals. As this is a personnel matter, the district will provide no further comment.”

Ms Allen posted her comments when sharing stories from conservative websites. In one post, she questioned how Ms Obama can function in the real world. "This poor Gorilla. How is she going to function in the real world, by not having all of her luxurious vacations paid for anymore."

Another social media post criticized a story that named the First Lady as one of the most admired women in the world. "I admire a gorilla more that I admire her,” she wrote. “(Wait I forgot, she is a gorilla)!"

Several days after the posts were reported, a district spokesperson condemned Ms Allen's actions.

"We were made aware of the posts Friday morning. Our schools were closed for fall break last week,” the statement read. “We have and will continue to address this issue with the employee on Monday. Racism and discrimination are not tolerated in Forsyth County Schools."

Ms Allen’s Facebook account is no longer active.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.