Coach accused of racist remark that led to bomb threat at Illinois high school resigns

A coach at an Illinois high school accused of making a racist remark toward a Black student-athlete has resigned from her position, officials say.

Sara Baker, who is also a teacher at Marion High School in southern Illinois, had been on paid leave since late April, the school said.

Baker is accused of calling a 15-year-old student-athlete on her track team a “barefooted African from the third world,” according to The Southern Illinoisan. The comments were made when she saw “two Black students running up hills without shoes on,” according to the newspaper.

The comment led to protests at the school, and a caller from New York threatened to “blow up” the school if Baker was not fired, McClatchy News reported.

The school said high school students were released early on April 28 and a bomb squad ensured the building was safe.

“As we are working diligently to investigate the allegations against the girl’s track coach and to bring the resolution to this matter, threats to the school district only serve to delay our ability to continue this investigation and cause disruption of our students’ education,” the school district said after the threat.

Baker, who is white, apologized to the student, WSIL reported, but the family said it was “insincere.”

“It was more than an insensitive comment ... more than a poor choice of words. It was racist,” said Teresa Hart, who protested at the school last month, according to WSIL.

Baker is also accused of communicating unprofessionally with students on Snapchat, WPSD reported.

The school board accepted Baker’s resignation letter Wednesday and is allowing her to be moved to another school in the district, according to WPSD. She is required to complete diversity training during her suspension, which is through the end of the school year, the TV outlet reported.

The girl the comments were addressed to was called “brave” by a woman in attendance outside the school board meeting Wednesday, The Southern Illinoisan reported.

Another woman who attended the gathering, Chastity Mays, felt “the board did the right thing,” according to the newspaper.

This story was originally published May 13, 2021 at 8:30 AM with the headline "Coach accused of racist remark that led to bomb threat at Illinois high school resigns."