NEW JERSEY (1010 WINS) — A New Jersey middle school teacher was removed from the classroom Monday after going on a 45-minute rant last week that included foul language and racist stereotypes directed at Black students, NJ Advance reported.
The incident occurred at Academy 1 Middle School in Jersey City and was confirmed by Norma Fernandez, the interim superintendent of Jersey City public schools. The unidentified teacher was suspended with pay pending an investigation.
The Jersey Journal obtained an 18-minute recording showing part of the tirade sent by a parent of one of the students. The rant was allegedly sparked by a conflict between students and led the teacher to ask the kids “what are your chances in life of doing something with yourself other than sitting home waiting for your welfare check” if they use violence to address differences.
“Your neighborhood is filled with violence. Who is perpetrating the violence? Black on Black,” the teacher is heard saying. “The whites aren’t coming here shooting you all down. Are they? Are they? How many white people came and shot you today?”
Speaking to NJ Advance, Fernandez said she is “appalled at the comments made by the individual in that recording. Parts of the message may have been well intended. However, the language that was used and the references that were made did not really portray a positive message.”
Fernandez, who learned of the incident over the weekend, added “Had I been one of those students, I would have been insulted by the comments that were made. … Forget what the message may have been, it was just lost with all the things that were wrong about it.”
Two parents told The Jersey Journal their kids were distraught Friday and came home in tears because their teacher was “cursing them out.” One parent added that the class is for students struggling with academics.
The inappropriate speech allegedly came after a dispute took place between a Black and white student, the parents said, adding that the teacher threatened to slam a student for loudly shutting the door.
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