I watched the videos: Northland teacher made things worse using N-word with student
The Park Hill High School student who was suspended for violating a district policy against racist language was right: The teacher who confronted him about the use of the N-word doesn’t get a free pass to lob racial epithets.
The teacher was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Park Hill School District. But after watching videos of the incident, I don’t see why he should keep his job.
Those videos show the teacher admonishing the student’s use of the N-word by repeating the word. Adults in positions of authority should know better than to exacerbate a volatile situation.
They show the white male teacher standing nose to nose with a young Black male student near the doorway of a classroom.
“You said N-----, bro. … You don’t say that s---,” the student answers him.
The teacher keeps repeating the word.
So does the student: “Don’t put the f------ N-word in your f------ sentences.”
The student was not in the right, either. But under no circumstances should an educator use racial language.
“You put it in your sentence,” the teacher says, using the logic of a third grader.
The whole exchange demonstrated a lack of the compassion and cultural understanding every teacher needs to educate children of all races. He should not be allowed inside a Park Hill classroom again.
This story was originally published February 11, 2022 at 11:08 AM.
