“I don’t have a problem with anyone that’s sincere,” he said. “I have a problem with people that do it just for attention.” With that, he agreed with the duo that a student should not face consequences for kneeling, and said he would speak with the football coach about the issue.“Listen, I’ve been discriminated against because I was white. That ain’t right,” he said, adding that he had “lost four jobs because I was white.” …
Later in the conversation, Mayes asked the students to view racial issues from another perspective. In an example, he said he is often pressured to hire more African-American teachers at Manual.
“I’d love to, but would you want me to hire an African-American teacher because they’re African-American or because they’re the best teacher?” he asked the students.http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/38979/Mayes was reprimanded by the district for these comments, as well as those criticizing the district’s chief equity officer. Last Friday, he apologized in a meeting organized by the school Black Student Union, stating “Help me be better.”