We read:
"A 9-year-old boy from a Phoenix elementary school has been suspended after the school determined he engaged in racial harassment by using the term "brown people." The boy, whom The Arizona Republic is not naming because of his age, was suspended for three days from Abraham Lincoln Traditional School after officials determined that his language constituted racial harassment, part of its hate-crime code.
In a parent-teacher conference in early November, Abraham Lincoln Principal Virginia Voinovich said she also told the boy that it is OK to have racist feelings as long as you keep them to yourself.
The mother, Sherry Neve, 35, said she is outraged and that her son did not make the remark to another student. She said the principal should face discipline for her own statements. "My son didn't say it," said Neve, whose last name is different than her son's. She has pulled the boy from the school. She said the incident raises questions about parental rights and methods of inquiry and oversight at the school.
Officials who oversee Voinovich in the Washington Elementary School District said Tuesday that they would launch an inquiry into the situation. They said they were unaware of a child being disciplined under the hate crime/racial harassment code but also cautioned that principals have the authority to enforce discipline without district intervention.
Voinovich submitted a letter of resignation effective Dec. 24, saying she is leaving for personal reasons.
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