Black leaders call for change in school hiring practices

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) – A group of African-American leaders in Paducah are calling on the local school system to change their hiring practices after a white woman was hired as food service director instead of a black woman who had applied.

The Paducah Sun (http://bit.ly/2cCBcgl) reports Pastor Alfred Anderson said minorities at Paducah Public Schools are overlooked and underrepresented.

Superintendent Donald Shively defended the district’s decision. In a statement, he said he reviewed the hiring process and each applicant was vetted according to policy.

The Sun reports that Paducah Public Schools is tied with Jefferson County Schools for having the highest percentage of minority staff members in the state at 25 percent. The school system is also one of the most diverse, with about 60 percent of students belonging to a racial minority.

Diversity is an issue across the state, according to a recent report from the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. The report found that 79 percent of students are white compared to 95 percent of teachers.

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Information from: The Paducah Sun, http://www.paducahsun.com

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.