Wisconsin school superintendent Dr. Claude Tiller Jr. recently resigned from his position after comments calling his jurisdiction “lily” white and referring to a district principal as a “bitch.”
Tiller was on an Atlanta radio show, “Relationship Talk with Dr. Adrienne,” on WAOK, to talk about the challenges facing public education. During a break, in a hot mic moment, he was heard referring to a district teacher as a “bitch” while the show’s webcam was still broadcasting.
While his district is 40% white, 31% Hispanic, 9% black, and 8% Asian, Tiller bemoaned that 90% of his teachers were white. He was in Atlanta to recruit more teachers of color.
Tiller also took time during the interview to insult the community that elevated him to one of the highest levels in his field, saying, “The mindset in Green Bay, Black and brown folks, it’s almost like stepping back in time. So I have to go debunking some micro-aggressions before I even go into.”
When the show’s host characterized the town’s racial makeup as “lily white,” he doubled down, saying, “A lily on top of a lily.”
According to Spectrum News 1, Tiller also told the audience his reaction to moving to Green Bay was, “I said, Lord, I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go to no white district.”
This is former Green Bay Area Public Schools superintendent Dr. Claude Tiller Jr. (@DrTillerJr)
He was caught on a hot mic giving a racist rant about white people.
He wasn’t fired. He resigned after the district agreed to pay him a lump sum of over $250,000. They also thanked… pic.twitter.com/hhIU1H3gyv
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 27, 2024
The school board voted to accept Tiller’s resignation and thanked him for his many contributions.
NBC26 reports Tiller will be paid more than $250,000 in an agreement to resign.
According to the deal, received by NBC 26 through an open records request, the district will pay Tiller a lump sum of $250,833.
The agreement states that payment includes 10 months of pay plus cash for benefits — dental, medical, vision — for the 15 remaining months of his contract.
Tiller will also receive compensation for retirement and $5,000 to cover his legal fees as well, according to the deal.
