Teacher Accused Of Calling Students ‘N’ Word On First Day Of School

[marble falls]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by azurnoir (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: CBS Houston

DONALDSONVILLE, La. (CBS Houston) — A teacher is accused of calling students the “N” word during class on the first day of school.

CBS affiliate WAFB-TV reports that Lois Polite, a social studies teacher at Lowery Middle School in Donaldsonville, La., is under investigation by the Ascension Parish School System after a parent of a student filed a complaint.

“My son came home very upset,” Shemika Landry told WAFB-TV. “She frequently called the kids the ‘N’ word in the classroom, belittling them, calling them stupid.”

Landry claims that the teacher threatened the students if they complained.

“She told them they can call their ‘maw’ and sent them to the school with their booty shorts on and their high heels but it wasn’t going to change anything because she was the only social studies teacher there and they needed her,” Landry told WAFB.

The school system, who is allowing Polite to continue to teach during the investigation, offered an apology.

“[W]e can’t say a whole lot about the allegations other than we received a complaint and we did an investigation internally and we are handling it as a personnel issue,” Johnnie Balfantz, spokesman for the Ascension Parish School System, told WAFB.

Landry believes Polite should be fired.

“She should be terminated,” Landry said. “If I would go on my job and use that type of language I would be immediately terminated.”

Balfantz says that Polite is currently the only social studies teacher at the school but that substitutes are being lined up in case the teacher is suspended or fired.

Read more: http://houston.cbslocal.com/2013/08/12/teacher-accused-of-calling-students-n-word-on-first-day-of-school/

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Hey, racism is dead, right? She was just teaching them 'bout them good ol' days.

[DissidentVoice]

1. What a bloody idiot

Most IMPolite of you, Ms Polite.

Where did she get her teaching degree, anyway?

She should definitely be canned...but in Louisiana, I'll be surprised if she is.

Ms Landry has every right to be pissed off.

[oberliner]

19. Don't you think there's a fair chance the kid might be lying?

Middle school kids have been known to do that from time to time.

Also, the teacher is African-American for what that is worth.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Just pisses me off

Because even though I live far away from there - my tax dollars go to educate children in Louisiana. I'm not paying this woman to say much of anything that is not in the curriculum. She needs to stick to the book and stfu. Seriously - she needs to stfu.

[oberliner]

21. "stick to the book and stfu"

Wow, that's the recipe for some really outstanding teaching!

[JustAnotherGen]

32. Dan Bates

At the Aquinas Institute in Rochester NY in 1987 did NOT stick to the book.

He told the class - I quote: ALL slaves ENJOYED being slaves.


Quite an epic argumentensued - but this then black 10th grader WON!

Yep - Social Studies/History - if you have 'issues' - STFU and teach the book. Our parents (that was a prep private school) were not paying him for his opinions. They were paying him for a perfect ACT, top SAT and entrance into University.

I'm not paying all of this money in Fed Taxes to have that woman give them opinions about their 'maws'. Although - I bet you she's teaching "The War of Northern Aggression" . . .

[oberliner]

42. How did you do on your ACT/SAT?

It actually sounds like the experience of being able to out-argue a teacher in a 10th grade social studies/history class was quite a memorable and proud achievement for you.

[Berlum]

3. Before we lynch the teacher

...can we wait to see whether the accusation of one student is substantiated. Might be a good idea.

[JustAnotherGen]

4. No one is going

to lynch a white woman in Louisiana over the internets.

And since we black folks never EVER get the benefit of the doubt on anything - I have NO problem assuming the worst about this woman.

My personal opinion and experience A black boy said it - going forward - what he says is ALWAYS true.

She has to disprove it.

[oberliner]

16. She is not white

The teacher is a black woman, not a white woman.

[JustAnotherGen]

33. My opinion doesn't change

STFU - and teach the book.


Would she have said that to a class room full of white kids?

Nope - She and Uncle Ruckus.

She needs to STFU and teach the book.

[oberliner]

40. That seems strange

Why not give her the benefit of the doubt rather than assume the middle school boy is being completely truthful?

Also, I hope they have a really good social studies book!

[Dreamer Tatum]

20. If you want "(you) black folks" to get the benefit of the doubt

...then since the teacher is black...um...guess you'll be giving her the benefit of the doubt?

Oops.

[JustAnotherGen]

35. Nope

We all know there are vast disparities in the treatment of black children and white children in the education system. Had that been one of those 'Christian' read - re-segregated White Schools - she would NEVER had made a derogatory comment about those children.

We have a HIGH rec member here who is a self described SELF HATING black person - she has transferred her own hatred onto Obama.

I know the type.

Like that member - this woman is one.

For a humorous look - check out The Boondocks. Adult Swim. She's an Uncle Ruckus.

[oberliner]

38. She was honored as a Teacher of the Year just a few months ago

Maybe there is more to this African-American woman than you are able to glean from this one news article?

[marble falls]

5. The accusations were strong enough for the shool to investigate.....

and the details already exposed jibe. Like the statement alleged from the teacher that they can have their mothers turn up in "booty pants and high heels" if they want but that the school can do nothing in that she is the "only social studies teacher" there. Not exactly a sort of kid's story detail.

[cstanleytech]

10. *scratches head* That makes no sense.

"The accusations were strong enough for the shool to investigate"

Investigations are the standard in general by most schools when "any" accusation is made I thought?

[oberliner]

17. Investigation is already over

"Appropriate action" has been taken according to the school board and the matter is closed.

[cstanleytech]

6. Well this is the DU and of course we shouldnt lynch first and ask questions "later"

but many still do which oddly enough is something the idiots over at the freerepublic do 99% of the time as well.

[marble falls]

9. Lets make a little bet on this. I'll go $20 to the charity of your choice on this: this story stands

[cstanleytech]

12. I didnt say it wouldnt but I am also not omniscient like some here appear to believe they are. nt

[oberliner]

41. Did you assume the teacher was white when you first read the story?

That question is not meant rhetorically, I am genuinely curious.

[oberliner]

22. Thank you for your reasonable comment

People are falling into a lot of assumptions here.

The first one being that the teacher is white - she is not.

[reflection]

7. Geez.

On the first day? Everyone knows you have to wait until the second day of school before you bust that word out.

Seriously though, if the allegations are true, she should be fired yesterday.

"Booty shorts?" "maw?" Someone's got more issues than Sports Illustrated if this pans out.

[oberliner]

23. School board has investigated - she is not being fired

They issued a statement already.

[jb5150]

8. Let me guess .....

...... she graduated from a bible based college?

[Spirochete]

11. What an asshole teacher!

She takes the "social" completely out of social studies...

[oberliner]

24. That is a pretty brazen accusation

Are you prepared to stand by it?

[Spirochete]

28. Well, there's not much gray area there

If she's berating her students like that, she's an asshole teacher.

if she's not, the accuser needs professional help.

[oberliner]

29. I disagree on all counts

I think there is a lot of grey area - and I do not believe there is enough information to determine whether or not the epithet you used is a fair one.

I'm also not sure anyone needs professional help in this scenario.

[Spirochete]

36. You're not?

If the teacher actually went on a tirade like that, she needs counseling. Sounds a little more far-fetched the more I think about it, but if a student told lies like that about his teacher on the first day of school, that student needs some counseling, I'd say.

[oberliner]

39. Not really

Kids exaggerate - that's pretty normal. And teachers can get annoyed with an unruly class. Seems like an intersection of those two realities is what we are dealing with here. Throwing in accusations of racial slurs manage to grab some headlines, but the more I read about the situation the more I think it is much ado about nothing. Especially considering the teacher herself is an teacher-of-the-year-winning African-American woman with many years of experience.

[gussmith]

13. Whaat!

Is this real? A teacher displaying racist, negative, unacceptable behavior. I am struck; would like to know the specifics of her exit interview. Where would such a person come from and get qualified as a teacher?

[oberliner]

25. She is an award-winning African-American teacher

With many years of experience and positive reviews.

[kag]

14. What's really scary is some of the comments after the story.

I don't mind calling the teacher "innocent until proven guilty", but some of the comments are blaming the victim, and being just as racist as the story claims the teacher is.

If the allegations turn out to be true, the teacher needs to be fired. Not disciplined, not put on "temporary leave", but fired. I'm a huge supporter of the teachers union, but if they come to this woman's defense and try to get the parish to keep her as a teacher, that will piss me off.

[oberliner]

27. The investigation is done and she is not being fired

Parents maybe need to be a little more suspect when it comes to swallowing everything their children tell them about what goes on at school.

[oberliner]

15. The teacher is African-American

Just FYI.

[Dreamer Tatum]

18. Oooh, another shiny toy from the DU Anecdotal Rage Factory! nt

[oberliner]

31. Some folks jumped the gun on this one

The rage has slowed down a bit now that folks are finding out the teacher herself is African-American.

[wordpix]

26. I teach in a 100% African American school and some kids call each other the n-word

But teachers, no, that would not be tolerated at all.

[oberliner]

30. Have you ever encountered kids making stuff up about their teachers?

Especially at the middle school age?

I think that is a pretty reasonable possibility here.

[Baitball Blogger]

34. Why are they even debating this?

[jimlup]

37. She should be suspended pending the outcome of an honest investigation

Apparently that won't happen in this case.

[jasond54231]

43. What a truly foolish teacher

She should be suspended immediately. There's no excuse for that kind of behavior in the classroom.

[azurnoir]

44. Locking story beyond LBN time limits

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story is dated August 12, 2013 12:25 PM