A Massachusetts elementary school teacher has been placed on administrative leave following a series of incidents in which he held a mock slave auction and used racist language, district and school officials announced this week.
The name of the fifth-grade teacher at Margaret A. Neary Elementary School in Southborough, a town about 30 miles west of Boston, was not released by authorities.
Principal Kathleen Valenti has also been placed on paid administrative leave from May 6-16, district Superintendent Gregory Martineau said in a statement this week.
Mother furious at school after daughter bullied in online ‘slave auction’: ‘Serious lack of understanding’
Martineau said he first heard about the incident from his parents in April. The first was a mock slave auction held during a triangular trade history class in January.
A teacher at Margaret A. Neary Elementary School in Southborough, Massachusetts, has been placed on administrative leave after hosting a mock slave auction, authorities said. (Google Maps)
“The teacher asked two children of color sitting at the front of the classroom to stand up and engaged in a discussion with the teacher and the entire class about their physical characteristics (e.g., teeth, muscle strength, etc.),” Martineau wrote, calling the lesson “unacceptable and contrary to the district’s core values.”
The second incident occurred in April when a teacher used a slur while reading aloud from a book, though the district later discovered the slur did not appear in the book, Martineau said.
Parents of students in the class met with the teacher and Valenti.
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Martineau told parents that such language was dehumanizing and should not be used by staff or students, and apologised to parents, saying there had been “inconsistencies” in the process that had complicated the situation.
“Ultimately, it’s my responsibility to ensure that students are in a safe and supportive learning environment,” he said.
