Black teacher fired for sending hate mail to himself

A black teacher has been fired for sending himself hate mail:

Back in November, three African-American teachers at an Elizabeth grammar school found Thanksgiving greeting cards in their school mailboxes that contained scrawled threats and racist hate messages.

Now Elizabeth school officials believe one of recipients was the author.

Rondell Taylor, 29, a special education teacher, was fired March 1 after school administrators determined he wrote the cards and left them for himself and two female colleagues at Peterstown School No. 3.

The school board's decision was cinched by the findings of a handwriting expert, said Charles Smith, the school district's affirmative action officer, who conducted the in-house investigation.

School officials think Taylor may have sent the cards because he wanted a transfer out of the school. After he reported receiving the card and said he felt threatened, he requested and was granted a transfer, officials said.

Taylor has not been criminally charged, and police are continuing their investigation.

Calls to Taylor were not returned, and his attorney said he believes Taylor was fired for reporting the hate-mail incident to police.

And, of course, Taylor will now probably sue the school for "wrongful termination."