Teacher accused of asking kids to pick cotton for class. NY school calls it ‘troubling’
A teacher accused of having students pick cotton during a seventh grade social studies class has been placed on leave, school officials in upstate New York say.
“Descriptions of what occurred in the classroom by the school community are extremely troubling,” the Rochester Board of Education said in a statement provided to McClatchy News on April 29.
The teacher, who is white, allegedly instructed his students to pick seeds out of balls of cotton while teaching the class about slavery, the Associated Press reported. He is also accused of telling his students to put on handcuffs and shackles during related lessons, which took place at the School of the Arts in Rochester.
An outraged mother first posted about the cotton-picking activity on Tuesday, April 26, on Facebook. She shared a photo holding a piece of cotton that she said her daughter brought home to show her.
“The District was made aware of a lesson that caused great concern during a 7th grade Social Studies class at School of the Arts this past Tuesday,” the Board of Education’s statement said. “The teacher was immediately placed on leave, and an investigation is underway.”
The teacher wasn’t publicly identified by the Board of Education.
The mother who spoke out about the lesson on Facebook said her daughter was “traumatized” and “feels belittled,” the Democrat & Chronicle reported.
“He made a mockery out of slavery. How dare you,” Precious Tross, who goes by Precious Morris on Facebook, told the outlet.
A substitute teacher has been assigned to the seventh grade class as the school investigates the “lesson that caused great concern,” School of Arts Principal Kelly Nicastro wrote in a letter to parents on April 28 and provided to McClatchy News.
Students in the social studies class told WROC that after some classmates complained, only white students in the class were allowed to not participate.
“He said, ‘It’s cotton, you’re going to be picking cotton today,’ so I immediately was like, ‘Oh, I’m not doing that,’” student Janasia Brown told the outlet. “And then he was like, ‘Do it. It’s for a good grade.’”
Student Jahmiere O’Neal told WROC that “I just felt ashamed to be my own race,” following the class.
School of the Arts made school counseling available to students after the administration learned of the situation, according to Nicastro’s letter.
“In a District of black and brown students, it is important to be sensitive of the historical framework by which our students are engaging and learning.” Board of Education President Cynthia Elliott said in a statement provided to McClatchy News.
This story was originally published May 2, 2022 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Teacher accused of asking kids to pick cotton for class. NY school calls it ‘troubling’."
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