A 15-year-old high school student in Springfield, Missouri, has been suspended for three days after he videotaped his teacher repeatedly racially insulting black people, his attorney said Tuesday.
Glendale High School student Mary Walton, a white student, said her teacher used the slur four times during a geometry class last week, according to attorney Natalie Hull. She didn’t know how to answer Mary in 10th grade, but she started videotaping what was going on to share with her mother and friends and ask for advice. The teacher then used the racial slur two more times.
Hull said Mary didn’t post the video online, but “it went viral within the community within 30 minutes of being posted.”
The male teacher, whose name has not been released, took leave that day, May 9. Springfield Public Schools said in an email Tuesday that he received a letter of resignation from the school district stating that he is “no longer employed.” letter from him.
The 56-second video Hal shared with The New York Times begins with the camera facing the ground, showing desktops, backpacks, and classroom chairs.
“I don’t like that word at all,” I hear the teacher say. “I don’t know. I feel the same way when a black person uses this term to another black person. Why isn’t it still a derogatory term?”
The student responds, but the comment cannot be heard over the other noises in the classroom.
Then the teacher says, “That word–he repeats the slander–‘Is it wrong to say?'”
A student told him: “If you want to keep your job as a teacher, don’t say that right now.” This is not a threat. ”
The video then shows the classroom, including the teacher, who repeatedly denigrates, “I don’t call anyone an a.”
He continues, “I can say the word.”
One student takes a deep breath, another puts his head on the desk. Her third student, who covered her mouth with his hand when the teacher slandered her, said, “Why are you saying that?”
Afterwards, the teacher spoke to Mary and told her to put her cell phone away. When she said no, he replied, “Then go to the office.”
Hal said Mary and her mother were not informed of the suspension until 7 a.m. Friday, three days later, and asked for Hal’s help in appealing the suspension and asking the school to apologize to the student. . Hull said Tuesday was the last day of Mary’s suspension, and she said the school district would not apologize for her or change her suspension.
Hull said Mary didn’t want to be interviewed because she was “struggling with the attention”.
In an emailed statement, Springfield Public Schools spokesman Stephen Hall said that student discipline is a confidential matter and that the school district is “trusted to handle all matters related to what happened in Glendale properly and expeditiously.” there are,” he said.
He also referred to the student handbook, which states that students are prohibited from using mobile phones to record audio or video of staff in the classroom without permission from the school. Students who violate these rules for the first time may be subject to disciplinary action, including parent-teacher interviews, detention, and suspension from school for up to three days.
“Consequences to be applied according to scope and order also include whether minors are identifiable in the recording and what difficulties (if any) other students may suffer due to the invasion of privacy resulting from the distribution of the video in question. It will be considered,” Hall said. He said.
“We want our school to be a safe and welcoming learning environment,” Hall said. “If a student has a concern, they should follow the proper procedures to report it.”