Photo credit: NBC29
James A. Bacon
After a series of orientation sessions and training sessions on anti-racism at Agnor-Hurt Elementary school, Albemarle County officials held a final training course on June 11, 2021. A presenter showed slides that showed a disparity between the racial makeup of school division employees and new hires.
Emily Mais, the assistant principal of the school, suggested that it might be useful to compare racial breakdowns of the applicants and the hires in order to determine whether the disparity is due to the selection process for districts or to the absence of minority applicants. Although she intended to speak of people of color, she accidentally used the term colored. She immediately apologised for her error of tongue.
Sheila Avery, a teacher aide, responded to the verbal miscue by presenting herself as a representative for other Black employees. Avery accused Mais of rewriting the story as detailed in an Albemarle County Circuit Court lawsuit. Avery said that she spoke like old racists who told people with color to get to the back of buses. Avery’s verbal abuses were so severe that several staff members raised alarm in communications with Mais during and following the session.
Mais’ surreal journey began in a school system that, in its name of extinguishing racism, has elevated race consciousness and racial grievances to levels not seen for decades. It demoralized White teachers by calling them racists and forced Mais to make an apology to the school staff. She also cowed other employees from expressing reservations over the anti-racist training.
This is Mais’ side of the story, as described in her lawsuit against Albemarle County school board. Most likely, school authorities will object to the specifics in the suit. Maiss’ version may be rejected by the court. However, it exposes the ugly bureaucratic authoritarianism that underlies the anti-racist movement.
According to the lawsuit background information, Mais had always wanted to be an elementary school teacher since she was a child. Mais has always had a passion for helping children become their best selves. It has been a great joy to see hundreds of children discover a passion for learning.
She is a Christian and believes that all human beings were created in God’s image and likeness. As image-bearers of God, everyone has inherent dignity and is entitled to equal respect. She believes that discriminating against people based on their race is wrong. It denies everyone the dignity and respect that they are entitled as children of God. Mais has been a tireless worker to instill the principles of fairness in her students and her children throughout her career.
Mais began her teaching career in Washington, D.C., in the suburbs. But after her three-year old daughter was diagnosed with renal cancer, the family moved to Albemarle County in 2016 in search of a simpler lifestyle. They purchased a three-acre parcel, built a tiny home, and looked forward being part of a tight-knit community. Mais became the assistant principal of Agnor Hurt Elementary School in Charlottesville in 2018.
Albemarle’s school district adopted an anti-racism policy in February 2019. This policy was intended to eradicate all forms racism from the school system. Critical Race Theory was heavily influenced in the policy and the orientation and training that was required to implement it. I wrote about this yesterday. According to the lawsuit, the curriculum, materials, and instruction dismissed white people as perpetuators or systemic racism. According to the lawsuit, the materials contained pejorative stereotypes about white people’s thinking, speech, and actions, as well stereotypical descriptions of whiteness and white culture.
Several Agnor-Hurt workers complained about the racially hostile training environment and the negative comments made by others about Whites. Whites who spoke out about their experiences were allegedly treated with contempt by those from non-Black backgrounds. It was alleged that they were not worthy of discussing because they were considered irrelevant.
AshbyKindler, a former administrator, was given the task of leading the training. Mais raised these concerns to him. Kindler was not able to observe the complaint and did not alter the program to reduce the hostile environment.
The nature of the training was revealed by word leaks. On May 27, 2021, several Albemarle County parents voiced concerns about the anti-racism policies. They suggested that schools were perpetuating the very racism that the Division purports to hate. One parent stated that the training leads to division and conflict and not positive relationships and mutual respect. The ideas and philosophies promote an endless cycle of conflict.
The assistant superintendent in charge schools anti-racism policy addressed Mais at a mandatory administrator meeting the next day. According to the lawsuit he replied to the comments of the parents.
Dr. Hairston pointed out that his ancestors were slaves belonging to a wealthy Virginia family.
Dr. Hairston stated that the parents made comments to him as if he were a slave owner who had raped his mother, sister, and beat him and told him not talk about it.
Dr. Hairston stated that the parents who spoke were encouraging systemic racism and he called them protectors (Pops).
Pops understood Mais to refer to protectors of racist practices. Hairston also stated that Albemarles antiracism policy was not negotiable. Hairston’s statements were supported by Matthew Haas, Superintendent of Districts, and other district leaders who were present.
Mais inferred from this meeting that any constructive criticism of the training by a white person would be branded racist and likely to adversely affect the employees’ careers.
Two weeks later, on June 11, the last training session took place. In which Mais said the words colored instead people of color The bureaucratic response was quick.
Soon after the session was over, Mais received an email asking Emily Holmstrom, the schools’ guidance counselor, if she would like her to unpack the things Mais had said during the training session. She was satisfied that Mais had not said anything that required unpacking.
Hairston demanded that Mais meet Avery and him days after the training session. Mais was afraid about how the meeting would go because of Hairston’s comparisons of concerned parents to rapist slaveryowners and the school’s open embrace of anti-racism. She asked for a recording of the meeting to preserve the conversation and allow for objective review.
Mais later heard from Hairston that he had discussed the request, but that the school system attorney had advised against it due to the possibility that the contents could be leaked. Mais was shocked because she hadn’t considered the possibility of speaking to the media.
In the meantime, employees shared that Avery and her friends openly called her a racist in the days leading up to the meeting. Second-hand reports reveal that the slurs used against Avery included calling her a white racist bitch or two-faced racism bitch.
According to the complaint, Principal Michael Irani refused to act when Mais complained to him.
Mais attended the unrecorded meeting that was required with Hairston, Avery and Ms. Holmstrom on August 6, 2021. She was Avery’s ally. Mais’ version says that Avery chastised Mais throughout the meeting for her colored comment, and Mais offered numerous additional excuses. According to the lawsuit
Ms. Mais tried to make herself understandable, but Ms. Avery continued to criticize her. Ms. Avery also said that she assumed that participants spoke less freely in training sessions than they did at home. For example, she believed that some participants used N-words at home but not during training. Ms. Mais explained that she didn’t appreciate the assumption. She would never use that word, and she didn’t use the word colored beyond the slip of her tongue.
Ms. Mais tried explaining the negative effects of the training on staff morale and the racial divides it was causing within school, but the participants were disbelieving and dismissed her concerns.
Ms. Mais explained to Ms. Holmstrom that many white participants were afraid of speaking during training sessions, fearing that they would offend others and be labeled racists.
Mais was struck with the double standard. Hairston was not asked for an apology for comparing White parents with rapist slave owners. Avery was not asked for an apology for making racially charged comments about White people.
Mais was able not to prosecute her, but she was forced to apologize publicly for her slip of the tongue. She was in tears by the end of the meeting.
Mais was emotionally distressed and took three days off. She spoke with Principal Irani about the situation, but he did not respond. She spoke with a Division HR employee, but she took the complaint upstairs. Clare Keiser, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, met with her and expressed empathy. However, she did not provide any concrete plans of action. Keiser, a black woman, said that Hairston was difficult to get along with and she had concerns about the antiracism training. However, there was nothing she could do according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, the Division required Ms. Mais, to lead a group that was empowered to curse about her and call her vulgar names. They also called her a white racist bitch. The Division was trying to make employees hostile to her.
Mais resigned August 29 after she found her situation untenable. She will be effective September 10, 2021. She wrote a letter to Agnor Hurt families about her departure, at the request of the Divisions. She was asked to state that she was leaving to pursue a new career opportunity. This was false. In order to maintain good relations with the school division (which was required if she sought employment in Albemarle County as an educator), she agreed to write that she was moving to be closer to her family. She implied that school officials didn’t want parents to know the true reason she was leaving.
Mais was also asked by school officials to apologize to the staff. She agreed to let her go on good terms. She spent hours writing the apology. The complaint says that she wanted to be honest with her colleagues about her entire experience in the hope of achieving something positive. This included a discussion about the emotional toll that the incident had caused her.
Mais presented the draft on Sept. 8 to Irani, Avery, and Ms. Holmstrom. Avery cut Mais off before she could finish reading the draft. Avery explained that Mais couldn’t discuss her feelings because nobody cared. Holmstrom informed her that her remark about her hurt was inappropriately racist, just like a typical defensive white person. This is what the training materials described.
The Division made sure that Ms. Mais was muzzled and prevented her from sharing her true beliefs to her colleagues. It also orchestrated the apology session to be nothing but a ritual shame of Ms. Mais’ slip of the tongue, for which she had previously apologized repeatedly, stated the complaint.
After the students were dismissed from school, Mais made the apology in a meeting called for this purpose. All teachers were summoned. However, according to information and belief, only Black teaching assistants were invited. The teaching assistants were wearing camouflage pants with black t-shirts and sat next to Mais while she spoke. This was interpreted by Mais as an attempt to intimidate her.
Avery was allowed to speak after Mais. According to the complaint she attributed Mais’ verbal slip white privilege to accused staff members She accused students of color and warned staff members that they were being watched for misbehavior. She explained to the teachers and staff that they could choose to be on her or Maiss’ side. There was no in-between.
According to the complaint many White employees were visible crying after the ritual shaming.
Avery stood for approximately an hour near Maiss office on Mais’ last day of employment, presumably to watch who came in and out to say good-bye. The complaint states that Avery was not there for work-related reasons. She sat in the lounge next to Maiss office at other times. Mais complained about Averys intimidating and overbearing presence, but Principal Irani did nothing. She was afraid of any negative consequences for anyone who was friendly with her.
Mais’ colleagues hosted an informal party off-campus to say goodbye to Mais after the workday. They expressed their gratitude for her leadership and sympathized with her ordeal.
According to the lawsuit, Albemarle County schools made retaliation against Mais for speaking her mind, allowed her subordinates to harass her without impunity, forced her into repeated apology sessions, and subjected to a ritual shame session in front her peers. The school system made Mais believe messages that were contrary to her deeply held beliefs and forced her into quitting.
These actions created an environment that was objectively hostile in which Ms. Mais would be subject to harassment, abuse, and public humiliation due to her constitutionally protected speech. The environment was so inhospitable that no reasonable person could endure it. and would be forced to resign.
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