BAINBRIDGE, Ohio — A Kenston High School teacher who was placed on leave after being accused of using a racial slur and profanity in front of students will return to work next week, according to a letter from Principal Tom Gabram obtained by 3News.

In the letter to parents and guardians, Gabram confirmed the teacher (whom WKYC has not publicly named) will be back in the classroom beginning Monday, nearly two months after being removed from his duties. The school also released a statement on the teacher’s behalf:

“First and foremost, I would like to offer my heartfelt apology for the manner in which I responded to an incident that occurred during my fourth block class, on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about how I could have handled the situation differently, and more appropriately. I have treasured the past sixteen years teaching in the Kenston Local School District. I have always strived to impact students in a positive way. Learning from this incident, I am dedicated to making changes in my own teaching practices and management strategies in order to continue to grow as a professional educator. I am focused on becoming a true asset to our school district. I will continue to help assist students with growth and progress in their pursuit of mathematics, while preparing them for future career readiness. I vow to all of my current math students and families; I will better myself and learn from this situation while continuing to enrich the lives of Kenston students.”

According to students who were in the room when the incident occurred, a teen was singing a song that contained multiple uses of the N-word before he and others continued using the word repeatedly. The teacher then became “fed up” and admonished the students by telling them to stop saying the word, but did so while using the word out loud himself.

“He got up and said he doesn’t want to hear anyone saying like ‘N,’ ‘N and bitches,’ naming all the things said in the class,” one student recalled. “He should have not said it. He should’ve just, like, said he doesn’t want us, like, using that word instead of saying it.”

Though Kenston Superintendent Bruce Willingham concurred that the teacher’s use of the slur was “not directed at any individual or group of students,” he declared his actions “unacceptable” in any context. The teacher was not seen for several weeks as administrators investigated the incident.

Gabram says the teacher “will develop a new structure of classroom expectations aligned with Kenston’s PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program. The structure will provide more accountability for addressing issues prior to them becoming distractions in the classroom.”

3News’ Sia Nyorkor and Anna Meyer contributed to this report.