A Kankakee school teacher was fired this week after sending a racist image to other staff members from her school email account.
On Wednesday, the Kankakee school board voted unanimously to approve the immediate termination of Ksenia Matson, a special education teacher at Kennedy Middle School.
Matson was in her second year of teaching in Kankakee School District 111.
Last week, the teacher sent an image to colleagues that read, “the ten little (N-word),” according to district officials.
Before terminating the teacher’s employment, the board voted unanimously to deny her resignation.
“The administration adamantly rejects the resignation of Ksenia Matson and asks the board to do the same,” Superintendent Teresa Lance said.
These were the only two items on the agenda for the board’s special meeting.
Board President Chris Bohlen said that Matson shared the image as part of an email group chat with other staff members.
The chat includes a social “tag” type of game, where colleagues send messages to one another to boost morale.
A staff member notified their principal about the content of Matson’s email, and the principal then notified the superintendent, Bohlen said.
At that point, the image had started to circulate online, and the district conducted an investigation.
“By explanation, this district does not tolerate or accept racist behavior on any level, from any staff member or any administrator,” Bohlen said after the termination was approved.
“We’ve made that clear several years ago. That precedent still stands. It is extremely important we treat each other with the respect we all deserve, so the termination is a statement of that goal and standard,” Bohlen said.
In 2022, the board voted to terminate a Kankakee High School teacher who had been recorded on video using racially charged language with a student.
Bohlen said that Matson offered an apology along with her resignation.
He could not provide details of the resignation because it is a personnel matter.
Because the board believed the incident to be egregious, the board voted to terminate the teacher instead of accepting her resignation, he said.
Lance also addressed the incident in a statement shared March 27.
She noted the incident was being investigated and that the alleged behavior was “unacceptable.”
“Racism, in any form, will not be tolerated in our schools,” Lance said in the statement. “Our responsibility is to ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for every student, every family, and every staff member. What occurred is not only disappointing, it is reprehensible.
“We sincerely apologize for the harm and hurt this has caused to our students, families, staff, and the broader community. While this action does not reflect who we are as a district, we recognize the impact it has, and we will not minimize it.”