Wausau East High School teacher who is accused of making racist, homophobic, and anti-Asian comments is being allowed to return to the classroom

Apr 29

According to multiple reports, Rob Perkins, the band director at Wausau East High School in Wisconsin, has been accused of making several racist, homophobic, and anti-Asian comments but is now being allowed to return to the classroom.

Asian American leaders of Wausau and The Social X Change Project say Perkins is accused of the following behavior in his class:

Calling a Black student a "dirty monkey"
Calling an Asian student "chink" and using the words "ching chong"
Using the word "faggot"
Attempting to humiliate and emasculate an Asian male student by suggesting that he might wear a dress

After multiple complaints were filed against Perkins, the Wausau School District opened an internal investigation but concluded that his behavior and language did not warrant firing him. “Witnesses indicate that he did use language that could be insensitive to students of different protected classes including race and sex, but that language does not rise to the level of discrimination or harassment,” said Dr. Keith Hilts, Wausau School District Superintendent.

In a letter addressing the investigation, the school district said that Perkins is known to create a “fun” environment and a “safe space” for all students. It also admitted that Perkins’ humor, including the use of racial or sexist comments, can sometimes cause unease.

In a press release, Superintendent Hilts said, “When you strive for excellence, you sometimes fall short. And we have. Some of our students experienced situations that fall short of our expectations. What do successful people and successful organizations do when expectations aren't met? Do we reject the people who do not meet those expectations? Sometimes. Yes – when the behavior calls for it. When appropriate, a preferred path is to use the situation to grow from. That is our path.”

One of the Asian students has been so traumatized by Perkins that he has been absent from school for weeks. “When I saw it in my son's eyes as he's crying on the floor, it broke my heart that a grown man can do this to my son,” the student’s father said to WAOW.