HANCEVILLE, Ala. – A Wallace State Community College history instructor has been placed on administrative leave after posts and messages she created on social media in response to the upcoming Cullman Comes Out event were made public. Screenshots of Leigh Ann Courington’s posts have been shared widely on social media channels.
Birmingham’s CBS 42 reported Tuesday, “On Monday, in a private Facebook post, Wallace State Community College history instructor Leigh Ann Courington suggested Satan had a hand in the event, called Cullman Comes Out, which is set to take place Oct. 8.”
A post attributed to Courington said: “The devil is attacking our beautiful town of Cullman now apparently…and the police chief is in on it? I heard he was a crazy-ass liberal but this??? We need a rally by the you-know-what to put an end to this foolishness. Of course, it may be as well-attended as the Juneteenth event the white liberal weirdos tried to do a few years ago in Hanceville.”
Other posts, obtained by The Tribune, allegedly made by Courington are below:
Wallace State Community College President Dr. Vicki Karolewics released the following statement Wednesday:
Wallace State Community College condemns racism and bigotry in all its forms, and addresses any infractions of our policies decisively, including and especially those that prohibit discrimination. The recent statements made by one of our employees are offensive to everyone who values human life, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.
Wallace State has made a sustained, conscious commitment to learning that transforms lives and communities in a positive and meaningful way through student-centered and supportive learning environments, teaching excellence, and respect for uniqueness and diversity, which are at the very essence of our mission. Wallace State was named a Caring Campus by the institute for Evidence-Based Change several years ago, and that designation is based in part on the holistic services, welcoming environment and sense of acceptance students find here, and on our work toward diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Our efforts to create an inclusive, caring campus will always be ongoing. This incident is a reminder that we must never think this work is done.
As a college, we affirm our commitment to recognizing, addressing, and eliminating racism, bigotry and discrimination in all its forms, and to serving as a beacon of equity, equality, inclusivity and accessibility for our community.
Wallace State will follow policies and procedures regarding this issue and will work towards a swift resolution.
If members of the college community need support, please reach out to the following resources:
Vice President for Students Office, vpforstudents@wallacestate.edu, 256-352-8340
College Mental Health Counselor, counselor@wallacestate.edu, 256-427-9336
Campus Ministries, campusministries@wallacestate.edu, 256-352-8280, or bcm@wallacestate.edu, 256-339-3765
CARE Team, wallacecares@wallacestate.edu, 256-352-8462
Campus Police, police@wallacestate.edu, 256-735-9975
Submit a CARE Report here: www.wallacestate.edu/submit-a-care-report.html
