June 1 (UPI) — A Massachusetts teacher was placed on administrative leave after allegedly staging a mock slave auction and using a racial slur in a 5th grade class, according to a letter from the school’s superintendent.
The incidents occurred at Margaret Neary Elementary School and were reported to Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough Superintendent Gregory Martineau in April.
Martineau on Wednesday sent a letter to parents detailing the incident and actions the school district has taken.
The unnamed teacher in January held an “impromptu mock slave auction” during a history lesson on the Atlantic slave trade. The teacher brought two Black students to the front of the class and had other students discuss physical attributes such as teeth and strength, according to the letter.
“Holding a mock slave auction is unacceptable and violates the district’s core values,” Martineau wrote. “Simulations or role plays when teaching about historical atrocities or trauma are not appropriate, and these teaching methods are not to be used.”
In another incident in April, the same teacher allegedly said aloud the N-word to students while reading a book that was recommended by a colleague but was not part of the school curriculum.
Martineau in the letter said the district later found the N-word does not appear once in the book.
“Dehumanizing words such as slurs should not be spoken by employees or students,” he wrote. “Using such words can harm students and negatively impact an open discussion on a particular topic.”
Martineau said parents found out about the two incidents and met with the teacher and the school’s principal, Kathleen Valenti, in April. The next day, however, the teacher “inappropriately called out the student who had reported the educator’s use of the racial slur, which is not acceptable.”
The district then opened a formal investigation and the teacher and principal were placed on administrative leave to allow a “thorough and unbiased investigation,” according to the letter.
Valenti’s leave lasted for 10 days, but the teacher remains on leave while the investigation continues.
“Currently, the District is engaged in due process procedures with the educator who remains on leave” Martineau wrote. “All personnel matters will remain confidential.”
Martineau in the letter apologized to parents and took responsibility for the incidents, saying the district’s “cultural competency” will improve.