Parents Shocked That Ohio Teacher Who Called Principal ‘Incompetent Black Man’ Exposed Her Herself on Surveillance Video Was Allowed to Keep Her Job

News that an Ohio high school teacher was allowed to keep her job despite making racist remarks about a Black principal and bullying a co-worker during a board meeting, then being caught on surveillance video pulling her pants down, has sparked backlash from parents and community members.

Sycamore Community Schools in southwestern Ohio suspended one of its teachers, Danielle Scrase, for 15 days after investigating a complaint about bizarre and discriminatory behavior she displayed at a school board meeting in September 2024, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Two witnesses reported hearing 54-year-old Scrase make racist statements about Sycamore High School Principal Taylor Porter, who leads the school where she works.

While Porter was taking pictures with members of the Black Student Union after they delivered a presentation to board members about a networking event they attended featuring historically Black colleges and universities, Scrase reportedly said, “Oh look, an incompetent Black man taking a photo,” and “Incompetent Black man shouldn’t be in the picture.”

During the meeting, Scrase also texted a colleague, “U know Ur a joke Rite? And ur lucky 2 have ur job and pay.”

On top of that, surveillance video obtained by WCPO captured Scrase pulling her pants down two different times while she was on her way to the bathroom. Records say that she exposed her “bare buttocks while walking towards the restroom.”

The district initially suspended Scrase from her job for 45 days without pay, but Scrase challenged the decision.

In a letter to district officials, she said the complaint about her conduct “contains inaccuracies, omits information, takes events out of context, and totally disregards my testimony.”

Concerning her comments about Porter, Scrase admitted to calling him “incompetent” but said it was a “description” and disputed the claim that her statements were motivated by race.

“It was spoken quietly to myself and was not within earshot of any family members in the audience because their chairs were several feet away from where I was sitting,” Scrase wrote in her appeal.

“Some background,” she added, “I grew up in an Italian family where talking aloud to oneself is part of our culture.”

The district had previously determined that Scrase “needlessly invoked Mr. Porter’s race for no apparent purpose other than to suggest it is linked to his alleged incompetence,” adding that that kind of statement might “play into the pernicious stereotype that Black people, and in particular Black leaders, are incompetent because they are Black.”

Witnesses also reported that Scrase smelled like alcohol during the meeting and questioned whether that was the cause of her strange behavior.

“It seemed like she may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” a parent wrote to the district. “She was slurring her speech, jumped into a photo with my child, even though she’s not involved with my student’s group, and even attempted to kiss our students’ advisor.”

In response to those claims, Scrase submitted a doctor’s note revealing her prescription for muscle relaxants and said she “unknowingly consumed a mixed drink,” which may have contributed to feelings of intoxication. She later admitted to drinking bourbon before the meeting.

Scarse also never denied the accusations of indecent exposure but said she went to a different area of the building where the board meeting was held and that no one else was around when she pulled her pants down.

After Sycamore Schools Superintendent Chad Lewis ordered Scrase’s suspension, Scrase filed a grievance against him, claiming he has a history of retaliatory behavior against her.

The school board agreed to a compromise: Scrase would dismiss her complaint against Lewis as long as she promised never to talk about it again. She also must attend counseling sessions and undergo an independent medical evaluation by a medical professional with substance use training.

In exchange, the district would knock her 45-day suspension down to 15 days and expunge her personnel records of any complaints about her inappropriate behavior.

She returned to work on Jan. 23.

Several parents and community members leveled questions against the district at a March 4 school board meeting about why Scarse was even allowed to keep her job, expressing frustration over the decision to reinstate her.

“How many of you would still have your job if you walked into your place of work drunk, exposed yourself, bullied a female co-worker via text message, and made a racially charged comment?” parent Brad Comerford said, adding he would take this issue to the NAACP.

“If my kids aren’t included and protected, we’ll go somewhere else,” Ronnie Hill said.

“We specifically chose this district because it was a very diverse population,” Emmanuel Black said. “I would hope that the board would reconsider and look at the content of the character of this teacher.”

In a statement about the backlash, Sycamore Schools said they “understand the importance of addressing these matters with transparency and accountability.”

“We want to reaffirm our commitment to fostering a school environment where every student and staff member is treated with dignity and feels respected, valued, and supported,” the statement read in part. To that end, our district prohibits discrimination based on race, color or any other legally-protected classification.”

Scrase has worked for the Sycamore school system since 1999 and is president of the Sycamore Education Association, a position she was appointed to in 2017.