Supporters sign petition to reinstate teacher who used N-word

“Newport News Public Schools has completed its investigation into expressed concerns about the terminology used by a Heritage High School social studies teacher during a classroom discussion earlier this month”, NNPS spokeswoman Michelle Price said in an emailed statement.

A high school teacher is under fire for offending students in a lesson about offensive language. “The policy is rather broad and basically says staff must conduct themselves in a professional, courteous and respectful manner”.

Despite being a school that is 90 percent black, Lynne Pierce, who is white, has received a lot of support from students and alumni. Ms. Pierce did nothing wrong. “She is a history teacher, she can not be censored for teaching terms and beliefs that people had throughout history”, the petition reads.

She told WTKR a student asked “what’s the big deal with calling them Redskins?” in reference to the Washington Redskins football team. “We can not sugarcoat history”. “It’s not what you think it is; she’s not a bad person”, Williams added to WVEC-TV (She did not respond to Yahoo Parenting’s request for comment).

Pierce, a teacher of 40 years, explained to WTKR that she was doing a lesson about how it’s inappropriate to use prejudicial names.

She was then put on leave as the school investigates. “Many are weighing in just because of that word that was mentioned”.

Williams’ petition says it’s absurd to punish Pierce for simply using the n-word while otherwise condemning racism. She said investigation records are exempt from public release as they concern personnel matters.

“Maybe. I don’t know, maybe”, she said.