Dallas-area teacher fired over racial tweets

DUNCANVILLE, TX -- A Dallas-area school board has fired a teacher who posted racially charged tweets about the killing of a black Missouri 18-year-old by a white police officer.

Duncanville Independent School District trustees on Friday voted unanimously to terminate the contract of Vinita Hegwood.

The dismissal came a day after Hegwood, who's black, apologized for her Nov. 7 comments on her personal social media account. The tweets were laced with expletives and derogatory references to whites and blacks.

Hegwood, who taught English at Duncanville High School, announced her resignation Thursday, but the school board instead fired her. Administrators called her remarks "reprehensible."

Michael Brown was unarmed when he was fatally shot on Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Missouri, leading to ongoing community unrest.