Texas teacher fired over racially charged Ferguson tweet

A Dallas-area teacher who was accused of sending a racially charged tweet about events in Ferguson, Mo., was fired on Friday, school officials said.

Vinita Hegwood, a high school English teacher, was discharged at a special meeting of the trustees of the Duncanville Independent School District, according to a statement emailed by the district.

“In a special meeting this morning, the Duncanville Independent School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to terminate the teaching contract of Ms. Vinita Hegwood effective immediately,” according to the statement.

Hegwood, who is black, was accused of sending insensitive comments from her personal Twitter account on Nov. 7. She had apologized.

“Who the ... made you dumb ... think I give a squat ... about your opinions. #Ferguson Kill yourselves,” read the message Hegwood allegedly sent.

In its statement, the district said Hegwood was given an opportunity to explain her version of the events, but trustees unanimously decided to terminate her.

Michael Brown, an African American, was unarmed when he was fatally shot on Aug. 9 in Ferguson by white police Officer Darren Wilson.

A grand jury is weighing whether to charge Wilson in the shooting that touched off racial protests that sometimes turned violent.

Follow @michaelmuskal on Twitter for national news