Current:Home > FinanceMassachusetts teacher on leave after holding mock slave auction and using racial slur, official says -Infinite Edge Learning
Massachusetts teacher on leave after holding mock slave auction and using racial slur, official says
View
Date:2025-04-12 12:19:40
A fifth-grade teacher in Massachusetts has been placed on paid leave after a series of incidents including holding a mock slave auction, using a racial slur, and calling out the student who reported the slur, a school official said.
Officials did not name the teacher at the Margaret A. Neary Elementary School in Southborough, a town about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Boston.
District Superintendent Gregory Martineau told parents in a statement this week that he first learned about the incidents from parents in April.
He said the first incident — a mock slave auction — took place in January during a history lesson on the economy of the Southern colonies.
“The educator asked two children sitting in front of the room, who were of color, to stand, and the educator and class discussed physical attributes (i.e., teeth and strength),” Martineau wrote.
He said those kinds of teaching methods are inappropriate, trivialize the experience of the victims, and are disproportionately traumatic for students of color.
In the second incident, in April, the teacher was reading aloud from a book and used a slur, which the district later discovered does not appear in the book, officials said. Martineau told parents in his statement that dehumanizing words such as slurs should not be spoken by employees or students.
The superintendent said the parents then had a chance to meet with the teacher and the principal to learn more about the two incidents, with the school seeking to be transparent with parents and to learn from its mistakes.
But the next day, “the educator inappropriately called out the student who had reported the educator’s use of the racial slur, which is not acceptable,” Martineau said.
He said the district then began a formal investigation and placed the teacher on leave. School Principal Kathleen Valenti was also placed on paid leave for 10 days this month, the superintendent said.
Valenti could not be immediately reached Friday.
Martineau apologized to parents for what had happened and added that he acknowledged “there were missteps in this process that further complicated the situation.”
He said all personnel matters would remain confidential.
In the nearby town of Southwick, investigators in March announced they were pursuing criminal charges against six teens who they said participated in “a hateful, racist online chat that included heinous language, threats, and a mock slave auction.”
A group on Snapchat was created overnight from Feb. 8 through Feb. 9 by a group of eighth-grade students, according to investigators. During the chat, some participants expressed hateful and racist comments, including wanting to commit acts of violence toward people of color, racial slurs, derogatory pictures and videos, and a mock slave auction directed at two particular students, investigators said.
veryGood! (52437)
Related
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- Pilot identified in fatal Croydon, New Hampshire helicopter crash
- As Israel pummels Gaza, families of those held hostage by militants agonize over loved ones’ safety
- What to know about the Psyche mission, NASA's long-awaited trip to a strange metal asteroid
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- The story of the drug-running DEA informant behind the databases tracking our lives
- NFL Week 5 winners, losers: Mike McCarthy, Cowboys get exposed by 49ers
- Julia Fox Says Kanye West Offered to Get Her a Boob Job
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Punctuation is 'judgey'? Text before calling? How proper cell phone etiquette has changed
Ranking
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Priscilla's Cailee Spaeny Reveals How Magic Helped With Her and Jacob Elordi's Height Difference
- Which nut butter is the healthiest? You'll go nuts for these nutrient-dense options.
- Powerball jackpot winners can collect the $1.5 billion anonymously in these states
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Powerball jackpot grows to near record levels after no winners in Saturday's drawing
- Monday's Powerball is over $1.5 billion. What are the 10 biggest Powerball jackpots ever?
- Alabama library mistakenly adds children’s book to “explicit” list because of author’s name
Recommendation
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
'Tenant from hell'? Airbnb owner says guest hasn't left property or paid in 18 months
Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial resuming with ex-CFO Allen Weisselberg on the witness stand
As Israel pummels Gaza, families of those held hostage by militants agonize over loved ones’ safety
'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
UN airs concerns for civilians as Israel steps up military response in Gaza to deadly Hamas attacks
Caitlyn Jenner Addresses What She Knows About Kim Kardashian's Sex Tape Release
Las Vegas-area teachers union challenges law prohibiting members from striking