A Baltimore City school teacher became viral news today after a video was released of her not only physically putting her hands on a student to remove them from her classroom but also spewing hate-filled, racial rhetoric. Thanks to Erica “Esha” Deminds who initially posted the video on her Facebook page of the chaos in her son “Twon”, class on Tuesday.
In a statement from the Baltimore City School District office it was relayed that “A middle school science teacher at Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School engaged in verbally abusive behavior and made racially charged comments directed at students.” The statement further adds that “”At Baltimore City Public Schools, we are committed to creating positive and equitable learning environments in school communities where all members are welcome, supported, and valued. No form of discriminatory behavior of any kind is or will be tolerated.”
The teacher’s tirade which included calling her middle school students Niggers, also included statements on how the children were idiots and would grow to be nothing but broke ass niggers and get shot.
Harlem Park Elementary/Middle school s in a predominately Black community. Myself being a Baltimore native will go further to say it in “the hood.” The idea that a young white teacher would travel to the community to work, yet feel the way she obviously does about her students is deplorable.
The video, slightly over 1 minute, shows so many things wrong in the classroom at one time. The teacher is dressed almost as if she is a teenager herself. She violated school policy by putting her hands on a student when she grabbed him by his hood. She ignored school policy by no calling for a school resource officer to remove the student from her classroom. Furthermore, she violated her contract and school policy when she began screaming racial epithets at a classroom full of students.
Some may ask how I can state these things with such certainty, that’s easy, before I became a writer and entertainer I spent 3 years working in the Baltimore City Public School System Myself. Like this teacher, I was young. I worked in a public high school before I was old enough to drink. Firsthand I dealt with the disrespect, the violence and craziness that came along with attempting to educate our youth. In fact, I wanted to be a teacher until I saw firsthand the limited resources teachers had to protect themselves and job against the chaos that they deal with daily. I witnessed teachers assaulted, robbed etc. I witnessed teachers resign, transfer to other schools, even break down in school. Never did I witness a teacher lose it like this one.
Most teachers who CHOOSE to work in an urban area understand that the schools are not only overcrowded but resources limited. Too much can be expected of teachers who even tend to provide classroom materials out of their own pockets at times. No matter how much is expected of them it’s a job they signed up for. Like any other job, at any time, an employee can put in a two-week notice. In fact, if two weeks is too much to handle, you can always just quit. Being part of a union, you can request a new assignment, you can even have a union rep fight for you if you find little results on your own.
All over social media there has been strong reaction to this video. Sadly, as usual, when there is a blatant racial situation, there are many rushing to justify the teacher’s actions and words. Comments have been made saying “what happened before she called them niggers” or things like “can you blame her with all teachers put up with.” There is no justification for this. Furthermore, what many forget is that as a teacher, she is a public servant. Her salary is paid for by those niggers who will never amount to anything and Maryland taxpayers like myself. Additionally, teachers have a morals clause in their contracts that prohibits such behavior.
As not only a Baltimore City and Maryland state taxpayer, but the parent of a child in the Baltimore City Public School System, I am livid. I saw this video early this morning when Shaun King first posted it on social media. In the hours that have passed its become a viral video, viewed over two million times.
Baltimore City Council President Jack Young released a statement via Twitter saying “It turns my stomach to think about this woman in front of a classroom of impressionable young minds. There’s zero tolerance for adults who violate our young people. That video is proof that we have more work to do as a city and a country.”
Thankfully the Baltimore City School District moved fast and immediately fired the teacher when the video was released. Sadly, occurrences like this have been happening nonstop since last week when Donald Trump won the position as our next president. A teacher in Florida at Wesley Chapel High School was just suspended for telling Black students that he was going to send them back to Africa earlier this week.
Looks like we’re right on track to make America hate again. For a diverse look at how people feel about these comments troll social media or check out this message board.
See the video here
