( 4UMF NEWS ) Teacher Calls Student ‘Black Boy‘
Kathleen Pyles, a math teacher at North End Middle School in Waterbury, Conn., is on paid leave while school officials investigate allegations that she addressed a black student with a racist remark.
Parents and the NAACP spoke out during a Board of Education meting Thursday, accusing Pyles of inappropriately calling a student “black boy” when she couldn’t remember his name, WFSB reports.
Officials told the Waterbury Republican-American that Pyles called the boy by the wrong name, and when the student pointed out the mistake, Pyles responded, “How about black boy? Go sit down, black boy.”
The incident allegedly occurred in May, and surfaced when another child reported it to his mother, who then took the issue to the school, according to NECN.
“I couldn’t believe it, it was shocking to hear a professional like that, say something like that in a room full of students,” former NAACP President Jimmie Griffin told WTNH. “I couldn’t believe it.”
A number of parents are shocked and outraged, and are calling for Pyles’ dismissal. Waterbury Public Schools COO Paul Guidone tells WFSB that “appropriate action” will be taken if the investigation finds that the allegations against the teacher are true.
“We wish to assure parents that we take this allegation very seriously,” Guidone said. “We do not tolerate or condone the claimed behavior from our staff.”
