Wisconsin school district releases tape of Black superintendent’s comments that led to resignation
The Green Bay, Wisconsin, school district has released the recording of its first black superintendent’s appearance on an Atlanta radio show in which he made blunt comments about race relations, criticized the community and mocked one of the district’s… .
MADISON, Wis. — The Green Bay School District on Wednesday released the recording of its first Black superintendent’s appearance on an Atlanta radio program in which he made blunt comments about race relations, criticized the community and mocked one of the district’s principals.
Claude Tiller Jr. resigned Saturday after a closed-door meeting with school board members.
On the recording, he is caught during a break while speaking on air during a WAOK-AM radio interview, calling a female executive a “wicked witch” and using a disparaging slang word to describe her. Tiller was in Atlanta on a teacher recruiting trip.
During one of the breaks, the show’s host calls Green Bay “about as lily white as I’ve ever seen.”
Tiller responds, “The lily on top of the lily.”
The entire interview, including the conversations Tiller had with the presenter during breaks, was streamed live on Facebook. The host informed Tiller that his performance would be streamed.
During the interview, Tiller was asked about his conversations with mostly white teachers.
“I’m a guy who has a bald head and wears bow ties,” Tiller said. “So first of all they think I’m a Muslim. They think I like making bean pies. And that is the furthest thing from the truth. So I need to debunk some microaggressions before I even get into them. They think the majority of us like fried chicken and watermelon. I prefer fried chicken.” He added that, as “a bald black man with a bow tie, they confuse my passion with anger.”
Tiller’s comments about bow ties and bean pies were a reference to the Nation of Islam, a black nationalist movement with roots in Detroit, whose male followers often wear distinctive red bow ties. Followers also often consume and sell foods made from white beans, including pies, which are promoted as healthy.
In a statement issued following his resignation, Tiller said his comments during the interview “specifically addressed the broader systemic issues within public education that contribute to its ongoing challenges.”