Officer behind 'Ebonics 101' handbook fired by HISD

(10/26/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- An HISD police officer has been fired because he was behind a controversial handbook called "Ghetto Handbook: Ebonics 101." It's just one outcome of HISD's investigation, and only we obtained the report Friday afternoon.

It is a booklet so controversial, that it has generated its own investigation report. After a two-month long probe, HISD's Office of Inspector General released its findings into the so-called 'Ghetto Handbook' and it clearly points the finger at one officer.

"It shows a tremendous lack of judgment ," said Terry Abbott with HISD. "The report shows that the document is tremendously offensive. It's not the kind of thing we can have going on in our police department."

The report says Officer Roby Morris, a 9-year veteran of HISD's police department passed out 12 copies of the handbook, which he made up at home, during morning roll call back in May. In it are supposed instructions for Ebonics 101, three pages of words like 'bling', 'peeps' and 'hoodrat.' The report concludes Morris worked alone.

For weeks, he's been on suspension. Thursday he got a notice that he's been fired.

"It's way blown out of proportion," said attorney David Donahue, who is part of Morris' legal team. "There was no malice, no intent, no racial motivation."

NAACP President Carol Mims Galloway, who was outraged from the first time we showed her the booklet, supports HISD's decision.

"It should send a message to any public entity employee," she said. "Everyone is sensitive when it comes to culture."

And it may be over. The report also gives a timeline that raises other questions. The handbook was distributed in May. Morris was reprimanded in writing in June. But it wasn't until the end of August that administrators learned of the incident.,

Spokesman Terry Abbott says it's possible others could be disciplined for not telling district officials about something so offensive.

"They do great work, but this is a case where clearly they failed," he said. Officer Morris plans to appeal the termination. His legal team wouldn't elaborate on his defense. The report says that his explanation that he's married to an African-American woman and has biracial children is not a good defense for creating the booklet.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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