DALLAS — Commerce ISD rescinded a job offer to a man who was photographed at a North Texas graduation, sending a racist text message.
The incident stemmed from a photo shared of a man typing a message on his phone while attending a Farmersville High School graduation ceremony.
The message reads: “Man Hispanics everywhere! Every other name is Mexican! We are being over run! ICE needs to rai(d) this graduation!”
More in Education
The photo of the message was quickly shared, and the man shown in the photo was identified as Sam Day, who had recently been named Director of Operations at Commerce ISD, according to a Facebook post from the district.
When WFAA reached out to Day for comment on the allegations, he said he is seeking legal counsel.
The day after Day was identified as the man in the image, Commerce ISD released a statement saying they rescinded its offer of employment to Day.
The offer was rescinded following an investigation conducted by “Superintendent Steve Drummond, CISD Chief of Police Seth McDaniel, CISD Human Resources, and upper administration,” according to the statement.
Day was not under contract with the district when the offer was rescinded, and he had not started working at the district, school officials said.
“Commerce ISD takes great pride in the diversity of our students, staff, families, and community,” the statement reads. “We consider that diversity to be one of our many strengths. Our district remains committed to providing a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for every student, staff member and family we serve.”
Before rescinding their offer, Commerce ISD posted on Facebook about Day’s hiring, saying he served in the military and previously worked at several North Texas districts. Most recently, he was Director of Transportation and Grounds at Caddo Mills ISD.
In a statement, Caddo Mills said it was made aware that a former employee who has resigned “used derogatory language in a personal text message outside of work.”
“We want to affirm that this type of behavior does not reflect the values of our schools or community. We remain committed to supporting every student, every staff member, and maintaining a safe and respectful learning environment,” the school district said.
To stream WFAA on your phone, you need the WFAA app.
Next up in 5
Example video title will go here for this video
Next up in 5
Example video title will go here for this video
In Other News