Clark County School District board member Danielle Ford made the statement during a public meeting intended to ease fears by parents.
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"There's two different problems that we are experiencing right now," Ford began. "One is our lack of safety protocols, and the other one is the safety of colored students in general."
She continued, "These are two different conversations. There is a clear problem with our culture."
TV station KTNV recorded the statement, as well as several parents walking out once the term was uttered.
After that, parents still at the meeting let in on Ford.
"Your words have fallen on deaf ears. Anything she said at this point is null and void and means nothing to us. Because, right now, all of your words mean nothing. You just showed your true colors," one parent said.
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Almost in an instant, Ford apologized for the statement, insisting she meant to say "people of color."
"She called us 'colored,' which lets us know that they need the training. The bias training. It needs to start at the top," said parent Akiko Cooks. "It's 2019. How long have we not used the word 'colored'? It's 2019!"
The focus of the meeting was on Instagram posts of black students at Arbor View High School who were photographed without their knowledge. The posts then would contain derogatory and racist captions.
The posts spread throughout the campus, and parents took issue with why they weren't informed over them.
The school district did not specifically speak to the trustee's use of "colored," but it outlined a plan to implement school-wide racial sensitivity training for students and staff.
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