DALLAS (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- An English class assignment at a Dallas high school asked students to write about modern-day heroes, including Ghandi and Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager accused of murdering two people during the violent protests in Kenosha.
Labeled “Hero for the Modern Age,” part one of the assignment asked students to write a half-page biography of each of the following people. Then it lists: Mahatma Gandhi, César Chávez, Malcolm X, George Floyd, Kyle Rittenhouse and Joseph D. Rosenbaum (one of the two protesters Rittenhouse is accused of killing).
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The assignment was met with outrage by some, putting Kyle Rittenhouse in the same league as Gandhi; in addition to the teacher misspelling both Gandhi and Malcolm X, Dallas-Fort Worth CBS 11 News reported.
CBS 11 News spoke to a relative of one of the students who complained. She said the teacher misspellings of Gandhi and Malcomb X were also outrageous.
"From the spelling, to the grammar, no women on the list… and then a white supremacist murderer,” she said, questioning the teacher’s character. "Seeing an assignment from a English teacher that stipulates that it would be graded on spelling, and then riddled in spelling errors would be enough to give anyone pause as to the integrity of the assignment."
The teacher was disciplined, but the school would not share how.
The administration did issue an apology, and said students did not have to complete the assignment.
“An unapproved assignment posted in Google Classroom yesterday has been brought to our attention. Understandably, this caused some concern for the impacted students, and we apologize. Campus administration immediately removed the unapproved content and students are not required to complete that assignment. Due to personnel policies, we are not able to comment further, however, the appropriate steps are being followed pending investigation.
Racial equity is a top priority in Dallas ISD, and we remain committed to providing a robust teaching environment where all students can learn. It is important that we continue to be culturally sensitive to our diverse populations and provide a space of respect and value.”