Last week, fourth-grade student Leon Howard Jr. told his father that a school employee used harsh, racist language against him and other students during recess. According to the boy's father, Leon Howard Sr., the students were playing football during recess at Harvest Ridge Elementary in St. Charles County, Missouri, when a staff member, believed to be the gym teacher, called out to the children, allegedly saying, "Give me the ball you effing n-word!"

KPLR in St. Louis reports that the students, torn up by the incident, immediately went to report it to another adult.

“He ran and told the principal and the principal made them write a statement about what he said, and I guess they did an investigation of their own. I don’t know,” Howard said.

The communications and community relations officer for the Francis Howell School District, Matt Deichmann, is confident that a sensible resolution will come of this incident very soon.

“We take these types of allegations seriously, so the school and district administers immediately began an investigation and the employee was placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the investigation.”

Leon Howard Jr. was so disturbed by the incident that he has missed days of school, since. “My son woke up (Thursday) morning and didn’t want to go to school. He was crying.” Howard is now considering homeschool for his son and wants the employee to be fired immediately. 

“I think he should be terminated,” Howard said. “I don’t think he should be able to work around kids at all.”