A Boston-area fifth-grade teacher who held a mock slave auction and used a racial epithet during class has been placed on paid leave, the local schools superintendent said.
Gregory L. Martineau, superintendent of Northborough and Southborough Public Schools, wrote a letter to parents on Wednesday that detailed the incidents and expressed his apology.
The teacher at Margaret A. Neary Elementary School in Southborough, Massachusetts, about 30 miles west of Boston, held a mock slave auction in January as part of a history lesson on the economy of the southern colonies, Martineau said. .
At the impromptu auction, the educator made examples of two black children who stood at the front of the room, discussing attributes such as teeth and strength, the superintendent said.
Martineau said such teaching methods are unacceptable because they can traumatize black students and trivialize the horrors of slavery.
In April, the same teacher read and discussed a book that is not part of the curriculum, the superintendent said, adding that the teacher used the N-word, which Martineau said did not appear in the book’s pages.
The state teachers union did not immediately respond to a request for comment and the local union could not be reached.
Martineau said he learned of both incidents on April 24. A meeting was held that included the teacher and school principal to “be transparent with families and take responsibility for mistakes,” he said.
But the next day, the teacher, apparently having discovered the identity of at least one of the students who complained about one of the two incidents, “called the student out,” Martineau said.
He said singling out the student was “not acceptable.”
The teacher has been placed on leave and is going through “procedural procedures” that could determine his status with the district, Martineau said. The school’s principal received 10 days of paid leave in May, the superintendent said.
Sarah Alinovi, a mother who plans to enroll her child in Southborough public schools, expressed concern that similar incidents had happened twice.
“If this happens repeatedly, then, you know, it needs to be addressed,” she said NBCBoston.
Rahsaan Hall, president of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, told the station that the incidents could provide a teachable moment for the school district.
“They certainly should be intentional and proactive in developing practices and engaging the community on these difficult topics,” Hall said.
The superintendent apologized to the teacher’s students and took responsibility for the “mistakes” in the district’s initial reaction.
“I apologize for the events that occurred in Southborough Public Schools,” Martineau said. “I recognize that there were errors in this process that further complicated the situation. Ultimately, I am responsible for ensuring that students are in safe and supportive learning environments.”
A plan to ensure teachers are “culturally competent” is being developed with the goal of being implemented in the fall. he said.
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