A Texas teacher was fired Friday , one week after sending racially charged tweets about incidents in Ferguson , Missouri . Vinita Hegwood said in a statement that she was `` reacting to a series of threatening and racist attacks '' made against her and her `` expressed opinions on Ferguson , Missouri , '' when she wrote on November 7 , `` Who the ( expletive ) made you dumb ( expletive ) crackers think I give a squat ( expletive ) about your opinions . # Ferguson Kill yourselves . '' Later that evening another tweet appeared , saying , `` You exhibit nigga behavior , I 'm a call you a nigga . You acting crackerish , I 'm a call you a cracker . '' Hegwood is African-American . Ferguson became a flash point in the debate over race after the August 9 shooting death of Michael Brown , an unarmed black teenager , by Darren Wilson , a white police officer . The fatal shooting sparked a series of protests in the St. Louis suburb . A grand jury is expected to decide soon whether Wilson will face charges . Teacher suspended after Ferguson tweets . Hegwood , whom the school district suspended on Monday , submitted her resignation Thursday , accepting responsibility for the tweets that she said were sent `` emotionally and impulsively . '' The Duncanville Independent School District 's seven-member board declined to accept her resignation and instead voted to terminate her , district spokeswoman Lari Barager said . District employees do have the right to free speech , Barager said , but Hegwood 's comments were so egregious , the school was left with `` no other option . '' Hegwood , an English teacher , was in her second year at Duncanville High School near Dallas . She apologized for any embarrassment her actions may have caused the district . `` My reaction in no way reflects the standards to which I have held myself and my students for the last 20 years of teaching , '' she said . Hegwood did not immediately respond to CNN 's calls and emails seeking comment . Complete coverage of Ferguson shooting and protests .
Texas school district board declines teacher 's resignation , votes to terminate her . A tweet on Springfield , Missouri , events referred to ` ` dumb ( expletive ) crackers '' Teacher Vinita Hegwood said tweets were ' ` ` emotionally and impulsively '' and apologizes for any harm her comments may have caused students .