DOVER — The teacher at the center of Dover High School's Ku Klux Klan jingle controversy will return to work in the fall, remaining on paid leave for the remainder of the current school year while going through training on the issues of race and bias.

Dover School District Superintendent William Harbron announced the decision on the fate of John Carver in a letter to the school community Friday afternoon, more than a month and a half after students sang the lyrics “KKK, KKK, Let’s kill all the blacks” to the tune of "Jingle Bells" as part of a U.S. history class assignment.

“Mr. John Carver will remain on paid administrative leave for the remainder of the 2018-2019 school year as he has committed to engage in an intensive course of study on issues pertaining to race, bias and privilege. Once that is complete, he is expected to return to his duties as a classroom teacher and coach next fall,” Harbron wrote in the letter.

A call to Carver Friday afternoon seeking comment was not immediately returned.

The controversy began soon after the class Nov. 30, when students sang jingles about a period in the Reconstruction era that followed the Civil War. The two students who were recorded in a video that was later posted to social media were singing about the history of the Ku Klux Klan, which began in the aftermath of the Civil War. Many in the community who viewed the video reacted with outrage, and many also offered support for Carver.

Harbron said the students “expressed racial insensitivity while giving an oral presentation as part of a classroom assignment,” he wrote. “In addition to deeply affecting all those involved, this incident has had a profound impact on the Dover community.”

Harbron wrote the district is “committed to preventing an incident like this from ever occurring again at our schools. The district deeply regrets that this incident occurred, and we acknowledge the harm that words, symbols and actions can cause, especially when offered without the proper educational framework and context. We acknowledge that we need to teach the hard lessons of our history as part of a robust social studies and civics curriculum; however, the manner in which we do so must be done with respect and sensitivity.”

The school district hosted a community forum on racism and bias last week in response to the incident that drew about 200 people. Harbron said in an interview Friday that he anticipates another community event soon, but nothing definitive has been planned. “I felt there was momentum, and we don’t want to lose that momentum,” he said.

In his letter, Harbron wrote that “as part of an initiative that began last summer, district-wide training will be administered to all administrators, faculty and staff members on issues pertaining to race, privilege and bias in the school community in the 2019-2020 school year.” In the interview, Harbron said that some training is likely to come this year. But the focus will be getting a comprehensive plan set-up for next year instead of trying to fit it in this year, he said.

The decision came after a lengthy investigation and subsequent report, which Harbron said in the letter is complete. But the report won't be publicly released because of “federal and state confidentiality laws,” Harbron wrote.

Harbron declined to answer specific questions about the investigation, citing the confidentiality of the report. Harbron said his mission is for him and all in the district to learn from the incident and make sure it creates a community “where all students are respected and honored.”

“This incident has sparked a necessary conversation among all educators in Dover to look inward and ensure that we are providing an educational environment for our students that is free of harassment and discrimination, both implicit and explicit,” Harbron wrote in the letter.

Longtime Dover resident Purnell “Fred” Ross, the former president of the Seacoast NAACP and area teacher, said he is concerned the decision to retain Carver could split the community, and that there will be parents and student who will seek to avoid taking classes with him. But he’s also hopeful of a positive outcome. “Maybe he can learn something. Maybe this will be a blessing. He’s probably entitled to at least a chance, but I would be very careful,” Ross said.

Brian Cartier, a parent of a DHS student who formed the community group, Alliance for Racial Equality after the Nov. 30 incident, also remains hopeful the event will provide an opportunity for change. But Cartier also said Carver “needs to own what he did” and called on him to make a statement explaining what he did wrong and apologize.

Dover Teacher Union President Lisa Dillingham did not immediately respond to an email Friday afternoon seeking comment.