Kansas City high school teacher on leave after students report comments made in class
A Kansas City high school teacher has been placed on administrative leave for comments made during an English class.
The teacher at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy High School, who has not been identified by name, was removed from the classroom after administrators were made aware of the statements.
“Our students deserve better than what they got, and we are so grateful to the students who came forward to make us aware of what was happening,” a spokeswoman with Kansas City Public Schools said in a statement. “Once our administrators were made aware, they went into the teacher’s classroom to observe. At that point, the teacher was removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave.”
The district declined to provide any further information “because this is a personnel matter.”
KCTV5 reported that the teacher made comments against Muslims and the LGBTQ+ community during an English class.
In a letter sent to families, Principal Kristian Foster said, “We had students approach us with concerns about the topics and sentiments shared with them relating to religious beliefs and texts during their class time. We are grateful for our students sharing their concerns with us.”
“Please know that these comments are being investigated and reviewed,” the letter states.
The principal added that both the school and district are “committed to a school environment that is safe and welcoming for everyone, including honoring separation of church and state within our school community. We will be working through this event and will communicate with you as decisions are made moving forward.”
The Star’s Sarah Ritter contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 27, 2021 at 9:59 AM.
