Jennifer Cooley

CHATSWORTH, Ga. — Murray County High School teacher Jennifer Cooley is no longer teaching in the classroom after a video of her using racially charged language surfaced Wednesday night.

On the video which appeared on social media sites, Cooley can be heard saying “n—– lips” and seen puckering her lips. Laughter can be heard although no one else is visible.

Mike Tuck, director of administrative services and communication for Murray County Schools, said he became aware of the video Thursday morning. He said the video appeared to have been taken in one of the school’s classrooms.

“It says what it appears, even though it’s hard to hear,” Tuck said. “We certainly don’t condone that language. It’s inappropriate in any situation.”

In the 10-second video, Cooley is sitting at a desk as someone begins recording her on the social media app Snapchat. Cooley says “n—– lips,” then people in the classroom begin laughing. Someone says “Do it again.” Cooley pauses then puckers her lips. The people continue laughing.

Tuck said Cooley met with Murray County High School Principal Gina Linder and Human Resources Director Ardith Bates Thursday morning and is “no longer in class.”

He said school officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding the video.

Cooley is a first-year teacher at the school and a former deputy at the Murray County Sheriff’s Office.

Morgan Beavers said she is in Cooley’s class called Criminal Justice Essentials. She said Cooley is not the person some people are making her out to be.

“She is a really good teacher, she made a bad decision, but that doesn’t make her a bad person,” said Beavers. “She’s one of the teachers that care and will give you the shirt off her back.”

Beavers’ mother, Mindy Bridges, was more critical.

“I think it’s very offensive to the students that she teaches and it’s not a good example for them,” she said.

Bridges said she met Cooley at an open house for the high school this year.

“It bothers me that someone responsible for molding our youth would say that,” Bridges said. “Did she stop to think how that would make her African-American students feel?”

Murray County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Brian Ingle said Cooley was hired at the sheriff’s office in June 2011 and left in August 2016 to teach. She had worked in Patrol, Court Services, DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and Animal Control.

Asked if she had been disciplined by the sheriff’s office during her time there, he said, “There are some reprimands in her employee file” but declined to provide details.

Ingle said he was “shocked” when he learned about the video.

“I’ve never heard her be inappropriate in that way,” he said. “We would definitely never tolerate that here.”