Ted Horrell, Germantown High School Principal, Apologizes for Presentation on Race, Test Scores

A Tennessee high school principal has issued a letter of apology to parents and students for saying the school’s black students are “less smart,” as evidenced by a state report card issued this month, WREG reports.

“I unintentionally offended a number of students on this campus,” Germantown High School Principal Ted Horrell wrote in the letter. “I apologize to all the students and parents who were offended.”

During a school presentation last week, Horrell reportedly laid out the results of the Germantown High’s Tennessee state report card, which breaks down standardized test scores by race and income. The assembly aimed to discuss how the school can close the achievement gap and introduce a new program that would offer assistance to struggling students, WMC-TV

But a number of parents and students were offended by the presentation, arguing that it only created a greater divide among students as some students found it reason to start mocking black students for “being dumb,” according to WMC-TV.

“[My daughter] felt he presented this information to basically reflect the African American students were all the reason the scores were down,” Germantown High parent Deborah Cannon told WREG.

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Horrell said that while at the Germantown High assembly, he did note certain groups of students are performing better than others, he “certainly didn’t say that white students are smarter than black students,” WHBQ reports.

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