A Wisconsin school district reinstated a teacher who used racist slurs, saying his actions were 'insensitive' but not discriminatory

• A Wisconsin school district has allowed a teacher who used racist and homophobic slurs toward students to return to class.
• A letter from Asian American leaders in the community accused Robert Perkins of "gross misconduct."
• The school district said it sees Perkins' comments as an "educational opportunity," the Wausau Daily Herald reported.

A Wisconsin high school teacher is back in the classroom after a student complained about his use of racial slurs in class.

The Wausau School District removed band teacher Robert Perkins from class earlier this month after students alleged that he used homophobic and racist slurs in class, according to Wausau Daily Herald.

The Wausau School District did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Saturday. 

According to the Daily Herald, the school district said in a news release that it received a complaint that Perkins was using anti-Asian racial slurs and making sexist comments in early April.

Perkins has had six complaints filed against him since September 2022 about his alleged use of racial and homophobic slurs and other inappropriate conduct, including aggressively rushing at students, according to an open letter posted on Facebook by Asian American leaders in the community. 

The letter calls Perkins' comments "gross misconduct" and accuses him of "harassing" his students.

"Perkins has repeatedly violated multiple [Wausau School District] policies," the letter says. "Instead of holding him accountable for his behavior and rhetoric, [Wausau School District] condones teachers calling our children 'chink,' 'dirty monkey,' 'faggot,' 'ching chong' and attacking their sexual orientation when it's done under the guise of 'fun.'"

Wausau School District Superintendent Keith Hilts, however, said that Perkins' language did not "rise to the level of discrimination or harassment" in a letter sent to parents on April 26, according to the Daily Herald.

Hilts said that the school district's compliance officer conducted an investigation where she interviewed Perkins, the impacted students, their parents, and other students, and ultimately determined that Perkins used "insensitive language" that caused the children to feel "unease," the outlet reported.

In a press release on Wednesday, the school district said that it viewed Perkins' comments as an "educational opportunity" and that the district will be hiring a consultant to improve the student experience in its schools, according to the Daily Herald.

In their letter, Asian American leaders said Perkins' use of racial slurs in front of the children will have a "long-lasting" and "detrimental" impact on the students who were subjected to it.

In January, a local radio station gave Perkins its "Teacher of the Month award, putting him in contention for local Teacher of the Year, according to the school district's Facebook page.