- Claude Tiller Jr., the Green Bay School District’s first black superintendent, resigned after making frank comments about race relations on an Atlanta radio show.
- Tiller called the principal an “evil witch” and used derogatory slang to describe her.
- He also commented on Green Bay’s predominantly white demographics.
The Green Bay School District on Wednesday released a recording of the school’s first black superintendent appearing on an Atlanta radio show, making candid comments about race relations, criticizing the community and mocking one of the district’s principals.
Claude Tiller Jr. resigned Saturday after a closed-door meeting with school board members.
In the recording, during a Feb. 6 WAOK-AM radio interview, he is captured calling the female principal an “evil witch” and using derogatory slang to describe her, during a break in the broadcast. Tiller was in Atlanta on a teacher recruiting trip.
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During one of the intermissions, the show’s host described Green Bay as “the whitest lily I’ve ever seen.”
Claude Tiller Jr. resigned Saturday after a closed-door meeting with school board members.
Tiller replies, “It’s a lily above lilies.”
Green Bay, a city of about 100,000 people in northeastern Wisconsin, is about 72% white, according to U.S. Census data released in July 2023. People who identify as black make up approximately 4.2% of the population.
The entire interview, including Tiller’s conversation with the host during the break, was livestreamed on Facebook. The host informed Tiller that his appearance would be streamed.
During the interview, Tiller was asked about her conversations with mostly white teachers.
“I’m bald and wear a bow tie,” Tiller said. “First of all, they think I’m Muslim. They think I like fixing bean pies. And that’s the furthest thing from the truth. So about microaggressions. Before we get into the discussion, I have to debunk some microaggressions: I think they think the majority of us “like fried chicken and watermelon.” I prefer grilled chicken. He added, “As a bald black man in a bow tie, they confuse my passion with anger.”
Tiller’s comments about bow ties and bean pies are a reference to the Nation of Islam, a black supremacist movement with roots in Detroit, whose male followers often wear distinctive red bow ties. Followers also often consume or sell foods made from white kidney beans, such as pies that are advertised as healthy.
Tiller did not respond to a phone message left by The Associated Press on Wednesday night. In a statement released after his resignation, he said his comments during the interview were “specifically directed at broader systemic issues in public education that are contributing to ongoing challenges.” .
He added that his perspective was “candid and anchored my story in both my professional insights and personal experiences as an educational leader of color.”
“Simply put, I spoke my truth.”
School District Board President Laura McCoy did not respond to a phone message Wednesday night. Executive Vice President James Leary declined to comment, calling Tiller’s resignation a “personnel matter.”
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Tiller was hired as Green Bay’s manager in July. He previously served as assistant superintendent for high school reform in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, according to his biography on the Green Bay School District website.
During one break, he told the host, “The idea of Green Bay, black and brown people, it’s like going back in time. They didn’t realize it until I came, but when I came Some people come and cry and say, “Don!” “Go away” because I am giving voice to the voiceless. ”
At another point during the interview, he said he had applied for the job solely at his wife’s urging, saying he thought “an all-white committee would not choose an African-American man.”
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The Green Bay School District on Wednesday released a recording of the school’s first black superintendent appearing on an Atlanta radio show, making candid comments about race relations, criticizing the community and mocking one of the district’s principals.
Claude Tiller Jr. resigned Saturday after a closed-door meeting with school board members.
In the recording, during a Feb. 6 WAOK-AM radio interview, he is captured calling the female principal an “evil witch” and using derogatory slang to describe her, during a break in the broadcast. Tiller was in Atlanta on a teacher recruiting trip.
Wisconsin high school accused of ‘racism’ after hosting student color orientation event
During one of the intermissions, the show’s host described Green Bay as “the whitest lily I’ve ever seen.”
Claude Tiller Jr. resigned Saturday after a closed-door meeting with school board members.
Tiller replies, “It’s a lily above lilies.”
Green Bay, a city of about 100,000 people in northeastern Wisconsin, is about 72% white, according to U.S. Census data released in July 2023. People who identify as black make up approximately 4.2% of the population.
The entire interview, including Tiller’s conversation with the host during the break, was livestreamed on Facebook. The host informed Tiller that his appearance would be streamed.
During the interview, Tiller was asked about her conversations with mostly white teachers.
“I’m bald and wear a bow tie,” Tiller said. “First of all, they think I’m Muslim. They think I like fixing bean pies. And that’s the furthest thing from the truth. So about microaggressions. Before we get into the discussion, I have to debunk some microaggressions: I think they think the majority of us “like fried chicken and watermelon.” I prefer grilled chicken. He added, “As a bald black man in a bow tie, they confuse my passion with anger.”
Tiller’s comments about bow ties and bean pies are a reference to the Nation of Islam, a black supremacist movement with roots in Detroit, whose male followers often wear distinctive red bow ties. Followers also often consume or sell foods made from white kidney beans, such as pies that are advertised as healthy.
Tiller did not respond to a phone message left by The Associated Press on Wednesday night. In a statement released after his resignation, he said his comments during the interview were “specifically directed at broader systemic issues in public education that are contributing to ongoing challenges.” .
He added that his perspective was “candid and anchored my story in both my professional insights and personal experiences as an educational leader of color.”
“Simply put, I spoke my truth.”
School District Board President Laura McCoy did not respond to a phone message Wednesday night. Executive Vice President James Leary declined to comment, calling Tiller’s resignation a “personnel matter.”
Group projects swastika on University of Wisconsin-Whitewater dormitory as they chant racist language
Tiller was hired as Green Bay’s manager in July. He previously served as assistant superintendent for high school reform in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, according to his biography on the Green Bay School District website.
During one break, he told the host, “The idea of Green Bay, black and brown people, it’s like going back in time. They didn’t realize it until I came, but when I came Some people come and cry and say, “Don!” “Go away” because I am giving voice to the voiceless. ”
At another point during the interview, he said he had applied for the job solely at his wife’s urging, saying he thought “an all-white committee would not choose an African-American man.”
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