Poplar Bluff R-1 School Board President John Scott has recommended creating a committee of citizens, school employees and possibly students to "springboard forward into meaningful solutions" during Thursday evening's board of education meeting following a classroom incident last week.
The recommendation of the committee comes following the incident where a student wore a Ku Klux Klan costume in an American History class as part of a group presentation. The teacher, which the district has not named, is currently suspended.
"My pledge to everyone here is that we will accomplish (meaningful solutions)," Scott said. "We will not have these kinds of things happen in our school."
In a crowded central office board room of about 30 citizens, five spoke to the board regarding the incident and how to move forward while ensuring this type of thing does not happen again.
"This is a big deal and I recognize it as such," Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill said. "I'm sorry this happened on my watch. There's no context for this, no justification, it can't happen. It's as simple as that."
Dill thanked the community for trusting him with their stories and justified anger during the past week and added he realizes he grew up in a different world, but ensures he hears the stories and knows the history.
"We have from this circumstance an opportunity," he said. "What I ask from everyone here this evening is you join us collectively in writing the next chapter to this story. If we do this together and the right way, we can change this and change lives, we can change the way the story goes. I believe that."
Dill went on to ask the community to join the district in courageous conversations that might be uncomfortable to discuss, but with civil discourse, he is confident the issue can be resolved.
The district will be reaching out for input and committee members, Dill added, to ensure it reflects what it needs.
"I want you to know more than anything else this is the beginning of a conversation, not the end of a conversation," he said.
Earlier in the meeting, Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Tommy Robinson presented two concerns of his at this time after an analysis of the why and how concerning the event.
Robinson said he has been exposed to annual diversity training within his workplace to keep aware of sensitive inflammatory issues that may arise and suggested the same to the district.
He also added the implementation of procedures and polices to eliminate the possibility of this happening again.
"I believe with the two concerns handshaking each other we will not have to revisit this landscape again," he said. "They will take care of the issue in a proactive sense."
Concerned citizen, community member and parent Erin Ceesay came before the board next to ask how incidents, such as the one last Friday, not be faced again.
After the photo of the student in a pointed hood and white robe sitting in a desk surrounded by other students was spread on social media, Ceesay said she read the comments.
Many posted they didn't see the big deal and it was just history, she said.
"I said out loud they can't be the same color as me, I know what it means to me," she said. "I understand."
Ceesay went on to say she has faced racism in the eye many times, so she understands what the big deal is.
"I understand we have come far, but we have a long way to go," she said. "I understand we must respect all cultural diversities in our community."
Following her address to the board, Ceesay asked what approach would be taken to ensure incidents like the one last week will not occur again in the school.
"We are going to put our policies in place and make sure that no chance something like this can ever happen again and I hope you will be involved with that," Scott said to Ceesay.
Raymond Webb challenged the board and school district to look at things through his eyes with empathy following the incident.
"I live in a white world and work in a white world," he said. "I live in a county that is 80 percent white and 70 percent support (President Donald) Trump, so I'm up against this every day."
Webb went on to say after speaking with friends, many have asked what he was mad about and also stated "it was history."
"That's a bad thing when they don't see the big deal," he said.
Not one person in attendance had called the teacher who allowed the costume to be worn "racist," Webb said, but that is all people are telling him, and not expressing what had happened was bad.
After speaking to Dill and Assistant Superintendent Patty Robertson, Webb said the first thing they said to him was the incident was "disgusting."
"I want to convey to teachers to see with empathy and not try to save a job," Webb said. "See through our eyes because we see it all the time."
After moving to Poplar Bluff in 2004, Alvin Flowers said he has seen a lot of things, but has never seen anything like what he has seen recently.
"Hopefully you will deal with this in a manner where we all will be satisfied," he said.
Scott assured the community would hear from the board by the next meeting and they would do everything possible to make certain this kind of thing doesn't happen again.
Harvey Heard said he had every bit of confidence the board would take the steps necessary to not let this happen again.
In his personal opinion, Heard said, this is not the first time something has happened and questioned why policies and changes were just now happening.
"I don't understand how this child, who has little to minimal blame for this, went through the levels of approval and was not stopped," he said. "It's disheartening to live in a community where this happens."
Genuinely believing the district will try to make good on promises, Heard said there needs to be a level of accountability in the situation.
Children at the school are held to level of accountability each day and an adult with life experience should be held to this as well, he added.
Heard said he felt it was his duty to tell the board why everyone spoke about the situation and wanted to challenge the board because someone needs to be held accountable.