Nearly a week after Selma City Schools’ interim Superintendent of Education Donald Jefferson uttered an ethnic slur demeaning the Jewish people in a public meeting, he offered his first, qualified apology.

It was an apology that took responsibility for saying the phrase “Jew down,” but in the process took the time to blame those around him for what led to a heated discussion and the media for quoting him accurately.

Ahead of the apologetic statement, Jefferson had two opportunities to offer an unqualified apology — two chances he did not take advantage of. Only when he faced the members of the Selma City School Board and just minutes before his name was announced to be among the five finalists named for the full-time superintendent post did he attempt to offer a detailed apology.

In one attempt to apologize, days after the ethnic slur was raised, Jefferson gave it a good effort but fell well short, falling back on the old political apology, “If I offended anyone…” as if to qualify if nobody was offended by what he said, then he should not have to apologize.

And regardless of whether the remark came during a “heated moment,” as Jefferson said, such a comment is never acceptable. We hope everyone would agree Selma is not the place for uttering ethnic slurs and the person who is ultimately responsible for educating our most precious resource — our children — should know better.

For these reasons, Jefferson should remove his name from consideration in the ongoing search for a permanent superintendent. If Jefferson feels his statements were not wrong and chooses not to remove his name, then the Selma City School Board should take necessary steps to ensure that the person who is responsible for setting the standard for the public education system in Selma be someone other than Jefferson. There is no doubt that Jefferson regrets using the slur during the public meeting. But we question — after hearing his attempts to apologize — whether Jefferson is really sorry for saying such a thing, or is he sorry it was said in a public forum for others to hear.

In any city or town, such insensitive comments would be wrong. But, in Selma, where we have dealt far too long with the pain and scars of racial, ethnic and bigoted comments, such a mistake is one mistake too many.

None of us are perfect individuals. We are all fallen souls, but those of us who aspire to positions of authority, whether they be elected office or appointed positions, should expect to be held to a higher standard. Such is the case here.

We do believe, and hope, Jefferson is not racist toward the Jewish people, nor do we doubt he is a good man who got caught up in a heated conversation. But, when given the opportunity to immediately apologize in the middle of the meeting for using the slur, or given another chance days later to apologize in a clear and unqualified manner, Jefferson either refused or made excuses as to why he used such a slur. There is no excuse for saying such a thing, at any time, in any setting, in front of anyone and it’s especially troubling to us that such a phrase was used by someone who is expected to set the example for others in the school system to follow.