School Board Member of DeKalb County School District says that “whites” will be defiant against safety rules

On September 14, 2020, a member of the DeKalb County School District’s Board of Education appeared to make a racist comment in a virtual board meeting. When discussing reopening schools and wearing masks, Board of Education member Joyce Morley appeared to say:

You can put signs up. And as Mrs. Turner asked, who’s going to be there to make sure they go through the hallways because I guarantee you there going to be those who are going to be defiant. You give in inch, they’re going to take a yard. And they’re whites. And we know that. (Time Stamp: 1:42:42)

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Joyce Morley later stated in an interview that she said “rights” instead of “whites.” However, she appears to say “whites” in the video of the meeting. The news outlet reported that another Board of Education member at the time, Stan Jester, “said he was disappointed and disturbed and has been flooded with emails from parents” regarding her statement. Board of Education member Allyson Gevertz also reportedly wrote on Facebook that she was “deeply troubled” from the comment.

Joyce Morley appears to have a history of making inflammatory remarks, especially on Twitter. In one tweet, she appeared to say that former President Donald Trump “opened seal to hell.” She also appeared to tweet that Texas legislators were trying to implement “legalized slavery” over the issue of abortion.