Fairbanks teacher on leave after ‘racially insensitive’ comments on George Floyd in class Author: Dan Bross and Robyne, KUAC Updated: May 11 and is republished with permission. FAIRBANKS A Fairbanks teacher has been put on administrative leave after comments she made during a discussion about George Floyd in her class at Lathrop High School, according to school officials. A parent notified the school of the comments last Wednesday. In a letter to parents on Friday, Lathrop High School Principal Carly Sween described the comments as “racially insensitive.” The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District has not publicly named the teacher, but a 15-minute video of the class posted online shows a teacher identified as Ms. Gardner. Connie Gardner is a special education teacher at Lathrop High.
Alaska high school teacher is suspended for telling Zoom class that George Floyd would still be alive if he had complied with police and sidled into their car
A teacher caught on camera telling her students over Zoom that George Floyd would still be alive if he complied with police officers has been suspended
The Lathrop High School teacher was talking to her students in a 15-minute video posted to YouTube about police killing black people
It is unclear how the conversation started
In the video, the teacher, identified as Ms. Gardner, said police do not have time to choose between their gun and a taser in interactions
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The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District has not publicly named the teacher, but a 15-minute video of the class posted online, shows a teacher identified as Ms. Gardner. Connie Gardner is a special education teacher at Lathrop. The video shows her leading a conversation about police killing black people, including the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin. Gardner does not defend Chauvin but says Floyd would be alive if he had complied with police orders.
“I’m an old white lady and if the cops came up to me and said mam, put your hands behind your back, you’re going to jail…I’m putin’ my hands behind my back.”
A Lathrop High School teacher was recorded during an online class last week while offering a candid opinion about high profile police shootings, including the murder of George Floyd by a policeman, and telling students that it would be better to comply with law enforcement officers than to run or fight.
The teacher said that police departments need to do a better job of weeding out bad officers. She told students that some perpetrators of violence are non-white. She called people who wear their pants down around their knees thugs.
On YouTube, the video titled âFairbanks Teacher â racist comments and interactions with students, staff, and family memberâ had more than 4,000 views as of Monday.