Newberg Public Schools employee on leave after reporting to work in ‘Blackface’

By FOX 12 STAFF

    NEWBERG, Ore. (KPTV) -- An employee with Newberg Public Schools has been placed on administrative leave after reporting for work in Blackface, according to the district.

In a statement on its website, the district said the incident happened on Friday and the employee was removed from the location. The location and employee's name were not released by the district.

"The administration of Newberg Public Schools condemns all expressions of racism," the district said in a statement. "It is important to remember how Blackface has been used to misrepresent Black communities and do harm. We acknowledge the violence this represents and the trauma it evokes regardless of intention."

The district said the incident is under investigation and "appropriate action" will be taken. No additional details have been released by the district at this time.

Newberg Public Schools has made headlines this summer after the school board voted to ban teachers from displaying Black Lives Matter and Pride flags or signs. The ban received a lot of pushback from community members, and after more than a month-long debate about the decision, the board was set to discuss whether to rescind the ban and send it to a policy committee.

Earlier this month during a meeting, board members went back and forth over the legality of keeping the ban in place. Ultimately, they voted 4-3 to push the decision to another day. A new date has not yet been set.