FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 12, 2022
CONTACT: Nikki Cowart, 281-787-9935, nikki@cyfairaft.org
Vile comments from Cy-Fair School Board member should not go unchallenged
Cy-Fair AFT President Nikki Cowart commented today on statements from Cy-Fair ISD School Board Member Scott Henry while at a School Board work session discussing strategies to ensure equity in instruction and the school environment for all students:
Scott Henry’s statements at Monday’s School Board meeting are ignorant and appalling, and he should resign immediately. Henry falsely equated lower student performance with Black teachers—something unfounded and vile, but not unexpected since he ran his campaign for trustee on the notion that we shouldn’t ever be talking about racism in schools. And yet, he’s happy to exemplify racist opinions from the dais of a school board meeting.
Scott Henry took his bumbling presentation even further with the detestable idea that Cy-Fair schools shouldn’t be like Houston ISD with a more reflective percentage of Black teachers, because he wants Cy-Fair to be the “premium place where people go.” Henry gave us another example proving individual school board member actions shouldn’t be how we judge the work of a district’s staff and students. We are also calling on other school board members to stand up against Scott Henry, not to let his bigoted comments go unchallenged.
It’s time for Scott Henry to go—to prevent another embarrassing and hurtful display of ignorance, racism, and incompetence. It’s time for him to resign, because he clearly can’t help inspire a diverse population of our kids in Cy-Fair schools after his pathetic rant against providing opportunities for all students.
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Cy-Fair AFT represents employees of Cy-Fair ISD and is affiliated with: Texas American Federation of Teachers, the 1.7-million-member American Federation of Teachers, and AFL-CIO.