DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – A district court has reversed the decision to terminate the contract of a Hempstead High School teacher who was fired after a video of him using a racial slur spread on social media.
Roger Poling, was heard using a racial slur in front of a Black student in a short video in May 2023.
However, according to a ruling from the district court, the school board’s decision to terminate Poling’s contract ignores the context surrounding the moment Poling said the slur.
The ruling says Poling had repeated the word back to the student in an attempt to explain the student’s misconduct. The court said while repeating the word is abhorrent, the Board’s choice to ignore the context from which the exchange occurred diminishes the Board’s finding of just cause.
With his termination reversed, Poling is reinstated. In a statement the Dubuque Schools expressed disappointment in the decision and says it may appeal the ruling.