Teacher Accused of Racism for Telling Black Students They’re Lucky to Live in US
Teacher Accused of Racism for Telling Black Students They’re Lucky to Live in US
A Florida teacher may be out of a job after he attempted to convince his students they’re lucky to be U.S. citizens in what some are calling a racist rant.
After his homeroom class refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, First Coast High School Daniel Goodman wrote a lengthy message on a white board. In it, he discussed how life has changed for African Americans, noting that slavery has been abolished, there are no longer separate bathrooms for white and black people, and several school district administrators are black. It ends with, “My point? You are all extremely lucky to be living in the U.S.A.”
“The message basically was targeting black kids and women,” says the mother of one of the students. Goodman, however, doesn’t agree, saying he was only trying to send a positive message to his students. School officials have temporarily relieved Goodman of his duties while the district’s Office of Professional Standards reviews the case.
Do you believe the teacher’s comments were racist? Should teachers just stick to their lesson plans and leave everything else to parents?