A teacher in California is being criticized after being captured on video using the n-word repeatedly in class as she attempts to get a student to repeat the racial slur after her.
According to students at Sequoia Middle School in Fontana, California, the class was reading a Mark Twain novel when someone asked the teacher about the spelling of the n-word, KABC Los Angeles reports.
“The teacher got in front of the class, and she was saying that the word is just an English word and everybody can say it if she wants to, it’s in the dictionary, and people are oversensitive over the word,” the student who shot the video on her phone told KABC.
The student, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the teacher then encouraged a student to use the racial slur too. “She was trying to force him to say the word and she repeatedly kept saying it and she had a smirk on her face. I was just thinking, ‘Dang, this teacher is out of her mind,” she added.
In the video, which was shared by the news channel, the unidentified female teacher says the racial slur and tells the student, “You asked me how to spell it, so go ahead and pronounce it.” Then the teacher repeats the word. “Pronounce it after me,” she tells the student, repeating the slur twice more.
According to the student who shot the video, the teacher used the racial slur “a lot of times, probably 15 or more.”
The incident was described as an “unfortunate exchange” between the instructor and student by Miki R. Inbody, superintendent of schools for the Fontana Unified School District. It happened “in connection with its use in a historical, literary work,” she explained.
“Fontana Unified School District is proud to serve a diverse community and is deeply committed to providing safe, inclusive learning environments where all students can achieve their full potential,” Inbody said in a message posted on the district website.
“As a District, we take such incidents very seriously and we are committed to ensuring that our learning environment is inclusive and welcoming for all students,” she continued. “We understand that such incidents can be hurtful and upsetting, especially for students from diverse backgrounds. We want to assure you that we do not tolerate any form of discrimination or prejudice in our school, and we are taking steps to address this issue and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.”
The school district did not identify the teacher; it is unknown if she has faced any disciplinary action. According to the school’s superintendent, teachers, administrators, and other staff members will continue to receive training and support “to ensure that they understand the importance of creating an inclusive and respectful learning environment.”
“We will also work with our students to provide opportunities for open and honest dialogue about the impact of language and behavior on others,” according to the message.