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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 6, 1993                   TAG: 9304060083
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARY BISHOP STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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STATE GETS RACISM COMPLAINT

The Virginia Department of Education has received a complaint about alleged incidents of racial name-calling by a white teacher and a white student at Franklin County High School.

Linda Edwards White, a county resident, reported to the department last month that a teacher and a student were accused of using the word "nigger" in separate conversations at school. The teacher, also accused of warning students against interracial dating, denied using racial slurs.

White, who recently became president of a new county branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said that on March 3 she asked department compliance chief Thomas Elliott to intervene because, she said, the high school was "unable to police itself."

After hearing that the teacher was given a brief leave with pay, White and black parents complained weeks ago that the school had not adequately disciplined the teacher. School officials would not discuss any action they had taken, saying it was a confidential personnel matter.

Elliott said Monday that under department procedures, school Superintendent Leonard Gereau has been asked to give the department a report on the alleged incidents. Gereau said he will file his report by April 30.

Elliott and three other department officials then will review the case and, if they decide White's complaint was well-founded, will ask the school system to develop a plan for addressing problems.

A mediator with the U.S. Justice Department arrives in Franklin County today for three days of talks about racial tensions in the school system with parents, students, school officials and others.

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