January 1, Kansas City Teacher Fired Over “Abhorrent Incident”

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A high school history teacher has been fired for repeatedly using the N-word during class, the Kansas City Star reported.

The details

Last month, students and alumni of University Academy, a charter school in Kansas City, disclosed concerns about the teacher, Johnny Wolfe.

Wolfe, who is white, taught history and African American studies at the upper school, which mostly consists of Black students.

Students took audio and video recordings while confronting the teacher about his use of the slur. The recordings were later posted by KC Defender, a Black nonprofit community media platform.

In one video, the teacher says: “Just like African-Americans call themselves n*****.”

“You can like it, not like it, be upset about it all you like,” he says in the recording. “But ultimately this is a ridiculous conversation.”

Wolfe defends his use of the slur in the recordings, saying that “We cannot police other people’s speech” and he was speaking in an “educational context.”

In another recording, he concedes that he “probably should not have said it” based on the students’ “educational level.”

The end result

University Academy officials condemned the behavior, calling it “a completely unacceptable and abhorrent incident.”

“The incident not only violated school policy, but also does not represent the standard of excellence we expect at the school. We are deeply saddened and sorry for the impact the incident has had on students, parents, alumni, staff and the community,” officials wrote in a letter to families.

“The nature of the incident is contrary to the very mission for which the school was created.”

The teacher was placed on administrative leave after the incident was made public. At a town hall held to address racism at the school, members of the community demanded that Wolfe be terminated from his position.

In addition to the teacher’s firing, the group demanded the formation of a diversity and inclusion task force, the hiring of more diverse staff members, and mandatory diversity training for faculty and staff.

A Change.org petition to remove the teacher said students were “subjected to this intellectual violence” and were “bravely expressing their feelings of discomfort about his use of the racial slur, as well as its impact on their educational experience.

“In response, Mr. Wolfe continued to repeat the racial slur, referencing pop culture as a form of justification. Instead of taking responsibility and accountability, this man gaslit young black students and belittled their intelligence. This is unacceptable behavior of ANY educator,” the petition read.

In the letter to families, school officials said that they’d hired both an independent investigator and a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant.

The school’s board of directors indicated — based upon the investigation and feedback from students, staff, parents, and the community — that several next steps would be taken, including firing the teacher.

Source: The Kansas City Star