School employee quits after 'cotton picking' comments to pupils

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Agence France-Presse

School employee quits after 'cotton picking' comments to pupils
14 June 2019 - 06:57
BY AFP

A staff member at a school in the US state of Oregon has resigned following an uproar over racist comments to a group of students who were told they were lucky they weren't "picking cotton."

The unidentified employee at Linwood Elementary School in Milwaukie, south of Portland, reportedly made the offensive comments on May 31 while scolding a group of pupils, described as mostly students of colour, who were acting up during lunch break.

One of the students, Jasmyn Spencer, told local media that the employee -- who was supervising lunch in the cafeteria -- first threatened to record their misbehavior and show it to parents at graduation.

The incident then took on racial overtones, Jasmyn told KPTV.

"She said that you're lucky I'm not making you guys pick cotton and clean my house and everybody just got extremely mad about that," Jasmyn said.

Read more: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/world/2019-06-14-employee-at-us-school-quits-after-cotton-picking-comments-to-pupils/

[marble falls]

1. That employee was lucky to have had a job. Maybe they can pick cotton.

[lapfog_1]

3. not anymore

[marble falls]

4. They still pick "lint" by hand.

[PatrickforO]

2. The irony here is that this lady would doubtless claim

vociferously that she's not a racist.

And yet, when she got frustrated with those kids, that's where she went.

We have to confront the history of this country, based as it is on slavery and genocide. Until we come to terms with this, we are lying to ourselves, and not making any real progress for the betterment of this world and of our species.