State Supreme Court Will Look At White Teacher's Firing

FLINT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to look at the case of a white teacher who was awarded $535,000 after claiming he was illegally fired for a racial comment at a Flint-area charter school.

The verdict in favor of Craig Hecht was upheld last year by the state appeals court.

During an exchange about desks, Hecht told another staffer that white tables were better and "brown should burn." He says he apologized to a black teacher's aide who heard him at Linden Charter Academy but still was fired in 2009.

Hecht sued, saying black staff had made racial jokes but weren't fired.

Among other issues, the Supreme Court will look at whether the appeals court erred when it found sufficient direct evidence of racial discrimination.