JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — (Note: The video above was originally published March 3.)
Melanie Hammer greeted students, faculty and staff Monday morning over the school intercom. She talked about how good it was to be back.
It marked the principal at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts' first day back since being placed on temporary assignment by the school district at the beginning of March.
During her time away, Hammer was set to receive diversity and inclusion training from the University of North Florida Center for Urban Education and Policy after the school received backlash for attempting to host diversity meetings for students that would be separated by race.
A Duval Schools spokeswoman confirmed Hammer's return to the Times-Union Monday morning.
Hammer said the point of the meetings was to serve as an introductory session to help bring the school community together, following "cultural issues that have arisen" on campus. After the separate meetings, there was going to be a joint meeting with all the groups. But that never happened. The criticism forced the school district to intervene and all the meetings were canceled.
According to at least two staff members familiar with the situation, faculty and staff at Douglas Anderson will attend its own diversity training on Thursday, which is a teacher planning day.
Emily Bloch is an education reporter for The Florida Times-Union. Follow her on Twitter or email her.