Facebook has obviously provided teachers with with the ability to connect with students and colleagues in a way they have never before. It has also exposed some teachers as being completely unfit for their chosen profession.
Case in point:
A High school teacher in the United States has sparked a racism row after ranting about black children on Facebook.
David Spondike, a 51-year-old teacher at Firestone High School in the state of Ohio, logged onto the social networking site and unleashed a diatribe against kids from the “ghetto” who had caused trouble trick-or-treating outside his house, Akron News Now reported.
The post was soon deleted, but someone sent screenshots to several local news outlets. Mr Spondike was apparently upset about one of the kids exposing himself and urinating in front of his home.
“I don’t mind if you come to my neighbourhood from the ghetto to trick-or-treat,” Mr Spondike said.
“But when you whip our your teeny d***s and piss on the telephone pole in front of my yard and a bunch of preschoolers and toddlers, you can take your n****r-a** back where it came from. I don’t have anything against anyone of any colour, but n*****s, stay out!” he said.
There are many things wrong with this post, not least of which is the inconsistency of saying you have nothing against people of any colour in the same sentence as a demeaning racial slur.
Facing an almighty backlash, Mr Spondike removed the post and said he was sorry “to those who are sincerely offended”.
However, in a series of additional posts, he didn’t apologise for using the N-word. Mr Spondike said he hears “that n****r word more than 25 times a day in a public school, where it is used thousands of times every day by black people”.
“Racism is racism and to allow one race to use a word and not another IS racist. What I said was absolutely NOT racist by any stretch of the imagination,” Mr Spondike said.
“When I try to get the teenagers in my school to stop using the word n****r, I only get laughed at.”
Mr Spondike will reportedly remain on leave while his school district investigates the incident.
The district released a statement regarding the online spat, condemning the conduct of its teacher.
“His comments were unprofessional and unbecoming a teacher,” said Superintendent David W James. “Regardless of whether he was on his own time and own account doing this, he is a teacher, and his actions influence children. This is serious.”
According to Mr Spondike’s personnel file, his record was already less than spotless. In 2007 he was accused of choking a student, though the claim was never substantiated, and in 2000 he was reprimanded for throwing a chair across his classroom.
Having said that, Mr Spondike also received “glowing evaluations” for his teaching.
A very poor defense by Mr. Spondike and an equally poor response by the Superintendent. A teacher should not be judged on their teaching skills alone, but also by their ability to act as a role model. Mr. Spondike claims he is not a racist. He hasn’t quite convinced me yet.
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