Fauquier County, VA – Fauquier County Public Schools Superintendent Major Warner has issued a formal public apology in response to offensive language used by the school division’s health coordinator, Pam Trude, during the Sept. 11 School Board meeting.
Trude’s comment, which involved the use of a derogatory phrase related to Jewish people, prompted the superintendent to address the incident over the weekend.
During the School Board meeting, Trude, who supervises school nurses within the division, used the offensive expression, “Jew people down.” This phrase, born from anti-Semitic stereotyping, insinuates the act of haggling for a better deal. Trude used this expression while discussing the budgetary constraints faced by school nurses and their resourcefulness in managing limited funding for school clinics.
Trude said, “My nurses get along in their clinics for about a dollar a student, but we’re making it work. We look for sales. We Jew people down. We do anything we can to make our dollar last, right, girls?”
Superintendent Warner sent a statement to Fauquier County Public Schools families on Sept. 16. In his statement, he extended his apologies for the offensive comment and indicated his intention to make a more comprehensive public statement during the Oct. 10 School Board meeting.
In his message, Warner emphasized, “The Fauquier County School Board and its leadership does not condone this type of behavior and language. I write to let our community know that this issue was addressed quickly and appropriately under our anti-discrimination and personnel policies. I will also address this matter publicly at our next scheduled school board meeting.”
Fauquier County’s non-discrimination policy for employees primarily prohibits “obscene, offensive, abusive, threatening, or violent language or actions toward other employees, supervisors, or members of the public.” The school division’s anti-discrimination policy for employees cannot currently be accessed online.
Warner concluded his statement by acknowledging the unique character of Fauquier County and offering an apology to the community for the hurtful nature of the comments made during the school board meeting.
The American Jewish Committee maintains a searchable glossary of antisemitic phrases and their meanings under the title “Translate Hate.” In an entry on the phrase “Jew down,” the committee’s website explains that this expression is based on the false stereotype of Jews being frugal or stingy.
“It is an insulting, antisemitic misrepresentation of Jewish behavior that plays into the trope of Jews as greedy money handlers who are unwilling to part with their earnings,” reads an excerpt of the entry.
At the School Board meeting, Trude was tasked with presenting data related to students’ utilization of school clinics, the administration of medications to students and the most common health conditions recorded in students. During her report, it was shared that the school health services in Fauquier County recently secured a grant of $185,955 from the Virginia Department of Education, leading Trude to discuss the allocation of these funds within the school’s health clinics.
