California teacher pushes hesitant student to use racial slur in class

FONTANA, Calif. - It all began when an 8th grader in Fontana’s Sequoia Middle School asked his teacher how to spell a word in the book he was reading for his English Class.

All pretty normal, except that the word was the N-word, as used in Mark Twain’s novel, Huckelberry Finn. The teacher appears to have made it a point to try to make the student say it. The exchange, recorded on a cell phone by another student, has since gone viral with the teacher repeatedly going against the young man's wishes and instructing him to say it. She is heard telling him it's just a word in the dictionary and should be able to say it.

Other students in the classroom tell us they felt uncomfortable. 

Some explain that the teacher, who is from another country, may not have understood that the word can be emotionally triggering. Others, however, say she should know better.

(FOX 11)

The student who shot the video was pulled out of the classroom after her mother complained to school officials.  But we are told by other students in the class that the teacher continues to bring up the incident, even after media coverage, saying she stands by what she did. 

The Fontana Unified School District issued the following statement to FOX 11 and the district's families in the wake of the teacher's remarks:

Dear Sequoia Middle School Families and Staff,

Sequoia Middle School and the Fontana Unified School District is proud to serve a diverse community and is deeply committed to providing safe, inclusive learning environments where all students can achieve their full potential.

The District has been made aware of a video circulating on social media depicting a recent incident at Sequoia Middle School. During this incident, an exchange occurred between students and a teacher regarding a derogatory term encountered during a lesson related to a Mark Twain novel. 

While we acknowledge that this derogatory language comes from a novel first published in the late 1800s, and that historical context is important to consider when discussing literature, the District does not condone the language that was used in the video or using that language outside of the context of discussing the novel. 

Fontana Unified is currently investigating this situation. While we cannot provide additional detail at this time, please be assured that the District takes this and all reports of demeaning language seriously, addresses the matter promptly and takes any necessary action.