The school district is trying to figure out how the offensive word was added into their survey, and say it was not there when officials reviewed the final draft.
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Oakland Unified School District is apologizing for releasing a survey that included a historically racist term for people of Asian decent.
The term "somehow found it's way" into a questions about demographics.
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The district's communications director John Sasaki released a statement that reads in part, "We are sorry to anyone who saw it and felt the crushing weight of historic racism associated with the word."
Sasaki also says the word was not in the final document that he saw before the district sent it out, and that "it is not a word that I or anyone who works for the district would use."
District officials say they are working to find any digital security issue that might have led to the problem.
OUSD will send a replacement survey soon.
Here is the full statement from Oakland Unified: