Illinois teacher fired after sending racist email to colleagues during gaming chat

A special education teacher at Kennedy Middle School in Kankakee has been fired after sending a racist message from her school email. The incident took place during a gaming discussion among staff, shocking the school community just before spring break. Ksenia Matson, a teacher at the school, sent a post containing the phrase 'the ten little N-words' to colleagues. The message was part of a gaming thread but was discovered during report card pickup. District superintendent Teresa Lance called the post inexcusable, even though it was not directed at students.

The Kankakee County School District 111 Board of Education held a special meeting to address the issue. Matson submitted a resignation letter with an apology, but the board rejected it. Instead, they voted to terminate her employment on Wednesday night. This is not the first time the district has faced such an incident. In 2023, another teacher was fired for using the same racial slur in front of a high school student. The school board is now introducing new measures to prevent similar cases in the future.

The district has made it clear that racist behaviour will not be tolerated. Matson's termination follows a pattern of strict disciplinary action against staff involved in such incidents. The board's decision reinforces its commitment to maintaining a respectful and inclusive environment.