‘Deplorable.’ Ky. educator licensing board reprimands superintendent for blackface image
A Kentucky superintendent was reprimanded and placed on probation Monday by the state educator licensing board in connection with a 2002 image of him in blackface that appeared online in 2020, state documents show.
The Feb. 14 agenda for a meeting of the Education Professional Standards Board included an agreed order reprimanding Donald Shively “for his offensive characterization of African Americans.”
The Paducah Public School Board in December 2020 suspended Shively without pay for 40 days after an image of him in blackface at a 2002 Halloween party surfaced online, the Herald-Leader previously reported.
“The school environment must be welcoming to all who come to learn and teach,” the state board order at this week’s meeting said. “Such racist and deplorable conduct interferes with students’ ability to learn and staff’s ability to teach in a safe and welcoming environment for all people. The Board will not tolerate any further misconduct from Shively.”
Shively did not immediately respond to an e-mail from the Herald-Leader asking for a comment. But in 2020 after the Paducah school board took action he apologized in a statement.
“I accept full responsibility for how my horrible and racially insensitive decision to wear blackface has impacted the community at-large, especially the students of Paducah Public Schools,” Shively said at the time.
Paducah board officials have previously said Shively self-reported the photo in February 2019 and they didn’t immediately discipline him.
“Dr. Shively’s apology and remorse were felt to be sincere by the board,” the board said in a statement in October 2020 to explain its 2019 reaction. “All members of the board expressed, or agreed that, while the costume was offensive and inappropriate, Dr. Shively’s demonstrated attitude and actions, dedication to the district, and commitment to ensuring equity for all students are more telling of his character and racial attitudes than an incident from almost two decades ago.”
Monday’s state Education Professional Standards Board order said Shively has provided written proof to the Board that he has completed 66 hours of professional development training with Pastor Edward L. Palmer Sr., recipient of the MLK Jr. Leadership Award and the Thurgood Marshall Social Justice Impact Award on topics including Implicit Bias, Anti- Racism, Racial Sensitivity, and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.
Shively has provided written proof to the Board that he has completed 10 hours of training from the American Association of School Administrators’ “Leading for Equity” series and that he has completed 9 hours of training from the National School Board Association’s Equity Symposium and Summer Equity Symposium.
Shively has provided written proof to the Board that he has completed 4 hours of training on the topic of Diversity Equity and Inclusion with Roger Cleveland, Director of Faculty Development and Diversity Initiatives at Eastern Kentucky University, the order said.
The state board placed Shively on probation for five years. If Shively receives further disciplinary action from any school district where he is employed, he will be administratively suspended pending a board review, the order said.
What occured Monday was the adoption of the board’s December meeting minutes, which makes the action legally final.
WPSD reported Wednesday that the Paducah-McCracken County NAACP sent a letter to the school board in December 2021 asking for nonrenewal of Shively’s contract that expires June 30.
This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 7:29 AM.