An Oklahoma teacher was placed on leave after allegedly calling a Black student's "Black King" t-shirt racist and telling students "we need a White History Month."
Heartland Middle School student Latrell Taft was confronted with an uncomfortable conversation with his science teacher after she paused her lesson to call out his shirt, which he received as a birthday present. After Taft told her what the shirt read, she accused him of being racist, which was a remark most of the class agreed with.
"She said that if she had a shirt that said 'White Queen' it would have been racist," Taft said. "Then after that, she said we need a White History Month. I said Black people don't have enough recognition and we barely learn about Black people in February at my school."
After Taft's mother, Melisa Shirley, was made aware of the exchange, she reached out to the middle school and "was brushed off." The school later issued a statement announcing the launch of an investigation into the interaction.
After the teacher was placed on leave, the Edmond Public Schools district issued a statement about a meeting that took place to address the incident.
"Edmond Public Schools district administrators met this afternoon with a Heartland Middle School teacher at the center of a complaint," said the school district's Director of Communications, Susan Parks-Schlepp. "The district recognizes the public's desire for a quick resolution to this issue. However, it's important to note that employees have fundamental rights to ensure fairness when they are the subject of a complaint. Those rights include an option for the teacher to respond to and contest any recommended disciplinary action. As such, the district cannot, at this time, divulge any further details about the outcome of today's meeting."
The school previously stated that if it was confirmed that Taft was a victim of discrimination, bullying, or racism, then the teacher would be disciplined.
Meanwhile, Taft has said he will continue to wear his shirt, stating, "I am proud of my Blackness and she will never take it away from me. I would tell her Black is beautiful."
