I'm in school currently to be a teacher so I work as a Substitute Teacher on the side to build my experience.
Gotta call this morning from my job saying they had received some complaints from some parents and teachers from the school I worked at Monday.
Director ---"Mr. Preacher we have a few complaints of racial comments made by you at White Plains Middle School on Monday. Are you aware of these comments?"
Me --- "No sir I cant say I am. I wouldn't knowingly utter racial comments, especially to my students"Director --- "It was alleged that you asked a young student if she were German or called her German?"Me---- Umm, yes I did. I was calling role and I noticed the young lady had a foreign last name so I asked if she were German and she said yes she was. There was no issue at all. She was actually surprised and ecstatic that I noticed." Director ---- "Hmm OK. It was also said that you asked a student if she was mixed racially?"Me--- "That is true. I was teaching on voting and I asked the student if she were mixed and she said yes. So I asked when you're able to vote which would you identify as, black or white? She said I guess black. I said cool. Again, there was no issue at all with these comments. Nothing inappropriate, sir." Director ---- "Interesting, the last comment said that you referred to the school as White Plains because there were little to no minority students there. Is this true?"
Me --- "*sigh* This is true. I can see how that would be taken the wrong way. It was just a joke because I had a class with no minority students so I made the joke: Ahh I see why they call it White Plains Middle School. I didn't mean it in a racial way. I apologize for that and it won't happen again"
Director --- "Mr. Preacher, these comments were flagged by the school. I'm guessing the students told some of the teachers and parents about the jokes you made and they did not sit well so they gave me a call this morning. So we are going to remove you from the school district"
Me --- "Just that one school district or all of them?"
Director --- "All of them" Me --- "I don't even get a warning? This is my first offense and most of the comments made weren't even racially inappropriate in my opinion".
Director --- "We take any type of negative comments regarding race, sexuality, gender and religion very seriously Mr. Preacher."
Me --- "I'm removed from all the districts so this means I'm fired?" Director - " Unfortunately, yes."
Me -- "But I'm scheduled for a few jobs this week, can I still work those"?
Director - "No sir, I will call ahead and remove you from those assignments. We're sorry about this and thank you for your honesty" I cant believe I don't even get a warning or anything. I could definitely see how the "white plains" joke could be inappropriate but those others ones were just.... Those weren't bad at all in my opinion.Those students loved me. Every school I teach at the students always telling me "Will you come be our real teacher"? So I know it was the faculty and.or parents being overly sensitive because I know the students had no issues at all. We were all just laughing like it was all good.
Back when I was in school man, those jokes wouldn't have been nothing. The world has gotten so sensitive and intolerant. It was a lesson learned though. I'm glad I got those experiences under my belt so I don't make those mistakes when I become a full time teacher.
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