A Texas teacher may soon find herself without a job after she was suspended for a racially-charged tweet about the Ferguson shooting, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Vinita Hegwood, an English teacher at Duncanville High in Dallas County, was suspended without pay on Monday following a tweet she reportedly posted about the controversial shooting death of a black teenager at the hands of a white cop four months ago in Ferguson, Missouri.
"Who the f--- made you dumb duck a-crackers think I give a squat f--- about your opinions about my opinions RE #Ferguson? Kill yourselves," Hegwood tweeted last Friday, the newspaper reported.
The circumstances surrounding the 44-year-old teacher's tweet was not immediately clear. As of Tuesday she has not issued a statement on the issue. A man claiming to be her husband told WFAA there is more to the story but did not go into detail.
Duncanville Independent School District officials said although teachers have the right to express their personal opinions, Hegwood took it to the next level.
"[Hegwood] used her personal social media account to make remarks that are offensive. While everyone has the right to free speech, as a teacher in the district, we believe the comments that are alleged to be made by Ms. Hegwood are absolutely reprehensible and we do not condone it," the school district said in a statement obtained by WFAA.
Though for now she is suspended, district officials are seeking to fire Hegwood, a decision which lies with the district's board of trustees.
The teacher's Twitter account has since been deactivated.
Meanwhile, a grand jury is expected to decide this month whether or not to indict Ferguson officer Darren Wilson for fatally shooting 18-year-old Michael Brown in August. The incident sparked months of protests, racial tensions and outrage over the unarmed black teen's death.
Law enforcement from Ferguson, St. Louis police, Missouri Highway Patrol and other agencies have reportedly been drawing contingency plans and are preparing themselves in case another round of riots break out if Wilson is not indicted.
