Kathleen Pyles, Connecticut Middle School Teacher, Allegedly Made Racist Comment, Called Student 'Black Boy'
Teacher Sparks Fury, Allegedly Called 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 meeting 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."
Advertisement
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.
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."
Advertisement
The alleged incident in Waterbury is just one of several reports of racial insensitivity among the nation's teachers.
In March, a Virginia high school English teacher allegedly asked the only black student in the class to read a poem in a "blacker" manner.
Jordan Shumate, a ninth-grader at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Va., says he was reading aloud Langston Hughes' "Ballad of the Landlord" when teacher Marilyn Bart interrupted him.
In Georgia, parents of Beaver Ridge Elementary School expressed outrage at the school district's response to reports of slavery being used as examples in math word problems -- which included references to violence and abuse.
Advertisement
One question read, "If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in 1 week?"
A teacher responsible for the assignment has since resigned.
Other Educator Controversies:
Teacher Controversies
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.