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Elementary students hiding their faces on a class.

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As I’ve said many times, there are certain white “educators” who have no business teaching Black students. In all honesty, they shouldn’t be in the classroom at all, but the harm racist teachers cause to Black students and students of color is immeasurable, and it’s wild how so many of them turn up in conservative states, where if education officials even smell the slightest whiff of critical race theory in the air they jump into action immediately on behalf of white children and their theoretical feelings.

So, why is it so hard to fire racist white teachers that cause Black students discomfort and harm?

On Monday, Knox County Schools suspended a white South-Doyle High School teacher who was caught in video repeatedly using the n-word while his students, including Black students, demanded that he stop.

The teacher — identified by the Daily Mail as Sanford Graves — who may or may not have a Klan robe collection in his closet was suspended with pay while the incident is being investigated, according to Knox News, because somehow a white teacher gleefully repeating a racial slur to clearly offended Black students still leaves room to wonder if there’s any context that makes it OK.

From Knox News:

In two videos posted on Facebook, the teacher and students talk about whether it’s ever OK to use the N-word, who can use it and in what context. The teacher can be heard saying the slur several times even as the students tell him he should not be using the word.

Malayia Pelcher, who was in the first period class, told Knox News she was hurt by the exchange, which started when the teacher singled out a student for being loud in class, then used the word when the student asked why he was being called out.

“The whole thing made me feel like our teacher doesn’t care about us,” Pelcher said. “Why would you say that to us as a class when we didn’t do anything to you?”

In a statement, Knox County Schools said it “does not tolerate any instances of racism,” which is generally what all education administrators say while the racist teacher in question is being paid to stay home while an obviously fireable offense is investigated for non-existent nuance.

Look, I realize there’s a protocol for firing teachers regardless of their alleged infraction, but maybe these policies need to be revisited for certain instances, particularly, when there’s video footage available that just screams: HERE’S A BLATANT AND UNMISTAKABLE RACIST WHO SHOULD BE FIRED IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE—WTF???

It really should be that simple. So, why isn’t it?

SEE ALSO:

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