Mass. Teacher Placed on Leave After Holding Mock Slave Auction and Saying Racial Slur Aloud in Class

A Massachusetts elementary school teacher has been put on paid leave after holding a mock slave auction, using a racial slur and then calling out the student who reported the slur, the Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough District Superintendent Gregory L. Martineau wrote in a letter.

The teacher has remained unnamed but is a fifth-grade teacher at the Margaret A. Neary Elementary School in Southborough, Mass.

Martineau wrote in the Wednesday, May 29, letter that parents informed him of the incidents in April, noting that the mock slave auction occurred at the start of the year in January “during a history lesson on the economy of southern colonies, which included slavery.” 

“The educator asked two children sitting in front of the room, who were of color, to stand, and the educator and class discussed physical attributes (i.e., teeth and strength),” Martineau wrote.

Martineau continued to condemn the teacher’s actions, noting how it is inappropriate, violate the district’s core values and “trivialize the experience of the victims,” as well as that these “simulations are inappropriate for any student and disproportionately traumatic for students of color.”

Then, in April, the teacher engaged in the second incident by reading aloud from a book and using a slur—which the district confirmed does not appear in the book. Parent Meghan Cifuente told WBUR that the class was reading the 2018 mystery novel The Parker Inheritance.

Cifuentes also told WBUR that her child returned from school and said that the teacher had said "a bad word" in the classroom.

"Never was I expecting the N-word to come out of his mouth," Cifuentes told the outlet. "If you're going to use that word with 10 and 11-year-olds, there needs to be a heavy discussion of what the word is, why it was used and what it means — just some background information.”

Subsequently, the parents of an unnamed student met with the teacher and Principal Kathleen Valenti to discuss the aforementioned incidents. But as a result of the meeting, the next day the teacher “inappropriately called out the student who had reported the educator’s use of the racial slur, which is not acceptable,” per Martineau’s letter.

Martineau confirmed that since the district began a formal investigation, the teacher was placed on leave, and Principal Valenti was placed on paid leave from May 6 to May 16.

Martineau apologized “for the events that took place,” adding his acknowledgment that “there were missteps in this process that further complicated the situation.” 

“Ultimately, I am responsible for ensuring students are in safe and supportive learning environments,” he added. Martineau also wrote that the district will work to “improve cultural competency and further ensure values remain at the forefront of teaching.”

He said that the district will conduct staff training, strengthen internal reporting policies, and work with MassInsight — an organization dedicated to improving student learning —to assess the district’s progress on its Equity Audit action plan.

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Kathleen Valenti did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Friday.