This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) – A Norman High School teacher’s job is on the line since the superintendent of the district requested his removal after the teacher leaked information about racial slurs, a hit list, and threats written on a bathroom stall inside Norman High School earlier this year.

KFOR was on scene when this incident originally happened. Norman schools told us there was no credible threat after a Norman police investigation. However, Norman police said otherwise and that a threat existed.

Now, after photos of the hit list and other things were released, a man’s job is now on the line.

The teacher’s name is Richard Cavett. He’s a history teacher at Norman High School. This is the first time he has spoken out since the incident took place and it came on the witness stand.

“I immediately recognized the importance of these photos,” Cavett said in Friday’s hearing.

Cavett said he got the pictures from a student. He said he told one of his bosses as they were on their way to look at the writings on the stall. He claimed at the time he saw the photos his fear and urgency were high.

“Communication is essential to parents and the teachers,” Cavett said.

About an hour later, Cavett claimed silence from the district led him to believe officials weren’t taking action and feared a cover up was going on. Then, he showed the pictures to another teacher. He also sent them to a parent saying he thought the district would bury it. The pictures made their way to KFOR and social media from there.

“There are moments in time that you must take action when wrongdoing has occurred,” an attorney for the district said during Friday’s hearing. “We take those moments seriously.”

Administration attorneys said Cavett sent the photos out about an hour after he saw them.

The school’s principal testified they were looking into it and Cavett never expressed any concerns to her.

They said he also didn’t share the photos with anyone else and only shared them with one of his bosses the next day.

Leaning on Cavett’s dishonesty, they said he lied multiple times, which he did admit, but said he feared retaliation if he told the truth.

Cavett and his attorneys said it was about notification and district miscommunication in the email sent to parents claiming there was no credible threat to the school – they even compared it to the miscommunication in Uvalde.

“Communications from school districts make a significant difference, don’t they?” Cavett’s attorney asked him at the stand.

“Yes, they are essential to the good operation of the school,” Cavett said.

The hearing continued well after the airing of this story. Several more witnesses including the principal at Norman High School and some parents with children in the district were spoken to by attorneys and the school board. We will continue to update you as the hearings continue.

The hearing concluded at around 11 p.m. on Friday night following a lengthy hearing regarding the employment of the high school teacher. Cavett was dismissed from his position after a 4-1 vote.