The Dallas Independent School District said it is investigating a complaint about an employee allegedly using a racial slur to describe a kindergarten student last month.
Brittany Miner said an employee, who is not a teacher, at Edna Rowe Elementary School used the word "monkey" to describe Miner’s five year old.
"She made the remark, like, 'He's jumping around like a monkey,'" said Miner. "My response was he's not a monkey."
Miner and her son are black. The employee is white.
Miner said the employee replied with a second comment, "Look at his little face."
Miner said she was prepared to chalk up the staffer’s first comment to a misunderstanding, but decided to file a complaint after the second reference.
"I could have just brushed it off and probably kept going on about my day," said Miner. "But once she said look at his little face, it was like 'What? Really, are you going to say that?'"
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"That let me know she doesn’t care about my feelings or my son’s feelings," said Miner.
The incident happened on Nov. 1. Miner showed NBC 5 a written complaint form for the school dated Nov. 2.
She since asked attorney Justin Moore to follow up with the district. Moore told NBC 5 his office began calling the school last week.
"I think this case is much larger than just this one singular issue," said Moore. "We want to make sure that students here at Edna Rowe and DISD don't come into contact with this type of language from administrators or faculty."
Monday, Dallas ISD said the district is aware of the complaint and the staff member has been put on leave pending the outcome of an investigation. A spokesperson for the district could not immediately confirm when the staffer was put on leave.
Miner said the employee has not apologized. Miner believes the district should fire the staffer.
"It’s been pretty rough because we have to come and see her every day," said Miner.
References to monkeys and apes have a history in racism, in attempts to justify slavery.
Earlier this year, retailer H&M came under fire for an ad featuring a black child wearing a sweatshirt that said "coolest monkey in the jungle." Actress Rosanne Barr created a firestorm after suggesting a former aide to President Obama was a product of "Planet of the Apes."
