CHEYENNE — A four-year-old video of a Laramie County School District 1 employee calling a man off-camera a racist slur is circulating on Facebook among several Cheyenne groups.
The video shows a woman sitting on the couch, wearing a green “Black Lives Matter” T-shirt. She’s on her phone when a man off camera asks if she just called him the N-word.
“I called you a (N-word) because you are a (N-word),” the woman says in the recording. “You’re a Black person, good for you. What’s wrong with it?”
Laramie County School District 1 officials confirmed Wednesday that the video had been first brought to their attention four years ago, and its contents were addressed at that time.
The district was unable to tell the Wyoming Tribune Eagle how the incident was handled, as disciplinary actions are part of an employee’s personnel file. The personnel file is confidential under Wyoming Statute 16-4-203(d)(iii), meaning the district cannot comment on what personnel actions have been taken.
According to LCSD1, the district’s Human Resources Department was contacted Tuesday with the video. The person sharing the video reported sharing the same video with a former administrator, as well.
“District administration is aware that an old video of an employee outside the workday has surfaced on social media,” LCSD1 told the WTE in a prepared statement. “This was originally brought to the district’s attention more than four years ago, and it was addressed at that time.
“We understand that these postings are offensive and hurtful to many people in our community,” the district included in its statement. “Because this involves personnel, the district will not make any further comments.”
School board policy typically only applies to staff conduct within their official duties or during the workday. In certain circumstances, such as ethical conduct or harassment and discrimination, conduct outside of official duties that impact the learning environment can be addressed, according to the district.
Though the video is four years old, it has recently been circulating on Facebook. Comments on the post vary between supporting and condemning the LCSD1 employee, including comments calling for her to lose her job.
The source of the video or the reason for its resurgence is unclear.
