Superintendent Andre Spencer accused a local news outlet of using language with racial undertones after it described his departure for a new job as a “Runaway Superintendent.”
TEANECK — A dispute over a local news article has sparked controversy in Teaneck after Superintendent Andre D. Spencer publicly condemned a headline describing him as a “Runaway Superintendent,” arguing the phrase carries racial undertones and is offensive when directed at an African-American school leader.
Spencer issued a June 19 letter to the community following publication of an article criticizing the manner in which he announced his departure from the Teaneck Public School District to accept a superintendent position in Willingboro.
The article, published by Shore News Network was titled “Runaway Superintendent Quits in Teaneck Without Notice, Taking New Job in Willingboro” and focused on concerns surrounding the timing of Spencer’s resignation announcement and the district’s leadership transition. It made clear references to the hit movie “Runaway Bride”.
Runaway Bride is a classic romantic comedy directed by Garry Marshall, reuniting the iconic Pretty Woman duo, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. The film follows a cynical New York columnist who travels to a small Maryland town to write a story about a woman famous for leaving men at the altar.
Yet Spencer and his political allies insist the message was “racist” and that the tarm “runaway” has slavery connections.
Spencer says headline carried racial undertones
In his letter, Spencer said he was “saddened” by the article and took particular issue with the use of the term “runaway.”
“During a time when African-Americans are celebrating Juneteenth, it is inconceivable that someone would voluntarily participate in the writing of an article with this title, speaking about an African-American leader in our community, as a ‘runaway,'” Spencer wrote.
The superintendent said the article was “extremely offensive” and alleged it contained “an undertone of racism.”
“I am writing to openly denounce the article titled ‘Runaway Superintendent,’ recently circulated in local spaces like Teaneck Today,” Spencer wrote. “It employs language that carries deeply unsettling, demeaning racial undertones. This kind of rhetoric is profoundly disrespectful and has no place in Teaneck.”
Spencer also argued that the terminology crossed the line from criticism into a personal attack.
“Using racially coded tropes to describe a professional’s transition, crosscuts standard critique,” he wrote. “This type of behavior demonstrates a personal attack on me, as an African-American leader in our community.”
Publisher rejects accusation
Teaneck Today responded by rejecting allegations that the headline was racially motivated.
In an editor’s note added to the article, the publication stated that the phrase “Runaway Superintendent” was intended as a reference to the 1999 film “Runaway Bride,” arguing that the wording was meant to describe a leader who left before completing his tenure without prior notice.
Teaneck school board members did not know their superintendent was fleeing the district for greener pastures until he was seen on a live broadcast accepting his position at the Willingboro School District.
The publication wrote that it would not retract the article and maintained that the reporting was factual and not based on racism, despite Spencer’s ridiculous and race-baiting claim.
The article criticized Spencer for accepting the Willingboro position before publicly disclosing his departure to the Teaneck community, and questioned whether board members were aware of his plans during a recent performance review.
Community reaction divided
Reaction among residents appeared mixed.
Some commenters said they did not interpret the term “runaway” as having racial connotations and viewed the controversy as separate from questions surrounding Spencer’s departure from the district.
Others said they understood why the phrase could be viewed as offensive when directed at a Black public official and argued that an apology would be appropriate regardless of the underlying debate about the superintendent’s tenure.
One resident wrote that both issues could be valid simultaneously, stating that concerns about Spencer’s leadership and concerns about potentially racially charged language were not mutually exclusive.
Most residents were not concerned about the term, but more about the current situation of the Teaneck School District which appears to be mid-stream in a political and cultueral battle between Orthodox Jewish residents and non-Jewish residents. It has been alleged that many of those non-Jewish residents are resorting to twentieth century “Jim Crow” style laws that were used against African Americans to prevent the growth of the Orthodox Jewish community within the city.
Is ” runaway ” a racist term?
According to most accredited journalistic references, the simple answer is “No”, but race baiters and race traders in politics often seek to racially charge innocent words for political currency.
“Runaway” is not inherently a racist word. It is a standard English term used to describe something that has escaped or broken loose (e.g., a runaway horse, a runaway train, or a child running away from home).
However, the word does have a deeply sensitive historical association when used in some contextual situations:
- Slavery: Historically, the term was heavily used in newspaper advertisements that offered rewards for capturing “runaway slaves”.
- Historical Weight: While the word itself is not an offensive slur, discussing or writing about “runaways” in an educational or historical context requires sensitivity due to this connection to chattel slavery. It is an obscure reference, often used as the basis of a strawman theory to call somebody a racist, who is not.
Leadership transition continues
The controversy comes as Teaneck Public Schools prepares for significant leadership changes.
Spencer is leaving to become superintendent in Willingboro, while Assistant Superintendent Dr. Scott has also departed the district. The simultaneous exits have raised questions among some residents about succession planning and who will oversee district operations heading into the 2026-27 school year.
The disagreement over the article’s headline has added another layer to an already contentious discussion surrounding the district’s leadership transition.
Is Runaway Bride Racist?
The movie Runaway Bride can also be viewed as racist because it did not feature any African Americans in predominant or secondary roles.
Coming this week: How “Outbound” is a racist word, along with succession, leadership, and others.
Key Points
• Teaneck Superintendent Andre Spencer called a “Runaway Superintendent” headline racially offensive and inappropriate.
• Spencer said the phrase carried racial undertones when used to describe an African-American leader during the Juneteenth period.
• Teaneck Today rejected the accusation, saying the headline referenced the film “Runaway Bride” and was not intended as a racial remark.