Hamden Public Schools have activated a “crisis team” to help students, faculty and staff process the news that a Hamden Public Schools employee resigned after she allegedly was caught on camera using racial slurs at a supermarket in East Haven, Connecticut, on Friday.
The incident took place at ShopRite on Foxon Road, officials confirmed.
"The video appears to show the employee repeatedly calling an African-American man the N-word," according to a statement from Hamden Public Schools. The video also appeared to show the woman spit at the man.
Hamden Public Schools Superintendent Jody Ian Goeler identified the woman as Corinne Terrone, a clerk in the school board offices.
The video also appears to show Terrone's children witnessing the conduct and because the children were there, school administrators filed a report with the Department of Children and Families, the statement said.
After learning about the incident, the district’s Human Resource Director contacted Terrone and arranged a meeting with her. Shortly after arrangements for the meeting were made, school officials said Terrone gave her resignation, effective immediately.
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Terrone has not been charged in this incident.
Walter L. Morton IV, the chair of the Hamden Board of Education personnel committee, said the school board and central office took action as soon as they became aware of the situation, and continue to take steps to help the school community cope.
“It was disturbing. I mean, it was vile. It was disgusting. You know, as a black man who graduated from Hamden High School it home and but you know not in a good way. I mean it’s certainly not reflective of the community, of the school district," Morton said.
Morton explained that the crisis team consists of staff, administrators social workers and psychologists. The team will focus efforts on the high school because Terrone was at one point stationed there. The team will give students, faculty and staff the opportunity to talk about what happened and how to make it into a learning experience.
There will also be conversations at other schools about the events that took place and how to go forward.
“My heart certainly goes out to the individuals who were on the receiving end of that tirade. I can only imagine the feelings that they experienced being in public and being embarrassed and being called such terrible, terrible things in front of people. And frankly not given a luxury in that moment to respond and give in to their feelings," Morton said.
East Haven Police said they are aware of the video and are investigating the incident.
"We are urging any potential victims of last night’s incident to contact us so we can investigate this matter further. Speech like this has no place in today’s society and nobody deserves to be spit at or called racist names," a spokesperson for the police department said. As of Monday, police said no one has come forward to file a complaint.
A spokesperson for ShopRite confirmed the tirade unfolded inside their East Haven store. A spokesperson wrote, in part, “We are cooperating fully with the police and have provided store video footage for their investigation. We encourage anyone with additional information about the incident to contact the East Haven police. We are saddened and deeply disturbed that this occurred in our store and affected our customers..”
NBC Connecticut has not been able to reach Terrone for comment.
