Teacher Reinstated After Saying Most Misbehaving Kids Are Black

Ananova ^ | 11-01-2002

[blam]

Teacher reinstated after saying most misbehaving kids are black

A teacher in the US has been reinstated despite saying most of the badly behaved students in his school are black.

Scott Phelps's statement caused uproar at Muir High School in Pasadena, California, with some critics calling for his dismissal.

Mr Phelps was placed on paid leave last week for making the following statement in a letter to his fellow teachers.

It read: "Overwhelmingly, the students whose behaviour makes the hallways deafening, who yell out for the teacher and demand immediate attention in class, who cannot seem to stop chatting and are fascinated by each other and relationships but not with academics ... are African American."

Mr Phelps said he wrote the letter to make district officials aware that the poorly behaved black students need to be disciplined or taught in a different way from other students.

George McKenna, assistant superintendent for secondary schools in Pasadena, confirmed that Mr Phelps will be back at work on Monday. The announcement was made at a meeting of the Pasadena Black Males Forum and greeted with cheers. Mr McKenna said he would now focus on solving the problems at Muir.

Mr Phelps says he is happy to be reinstated but even happier that people are taking his letter so seriously.

Mr Phelps told The Pasadena Star : "I'm pleased to be back with my kids. The public debate this has caused is good. It becomes about solving problems now."

Pasadena civil rights attorney Bert Voorhees said he thought Mr Phelps should be fired for his comments.

He told the paper: "There are few things short of molesting a child that should be taken as seriously as making racist comments in a school setting.

"High school is such a difficult time anyway and when a high school teacher tells a group of students that they're not valuable and that they don't belong, it's really devastating and unbelievable to me.'"

Story filed: 15:13 Friday 1st November 2002

[Vidalia]

The truth should be rewarded when the facts are warranted...

[mgist]

I bet he is an ultra liberal democrat.

[SouthernFreebird]

when a high school teacher tells a group of students that they're not valuable and that they don't belong,

Hmmmmmm, I must of missed that comment by the teacher....

[Notforprophet]

I bet they looked at disciplinary logs and found that teacher was 100% correct.

[billybudd]

"High school is such a difficult time anyway and when a high school teacher tells a group of students that they're not valuable and that they don't belong, it's really devastating and unbelievable to me.'"

STFU, MF.

[Senator Pardek]

He told the paper: "There are few things short of molesting a child that should be taken as seriously as making racist comments in a school setting."

Good grief.

[End The Hypocrisy]

I once heard someone say "call a spade a spade" but soon thereafter that person was sanctioned because it, too, supposedly has racial connotations.

[caisson71]

The truth hurts but thank God some are out there speaking it. In this case, the truth hurts only because it is about black students. If the same would have been said about non-blacks, nothing would have come of this.

[WSGilcrest]

Jimmy da Greek

[demlosers]

Pasadena civil rights attorney Bert Voorhees

Who is this fool trying to fool?

[fatguy]

The announcement was made at a meeting of the Pasadena Black Males Forum and greeted with cheers.

Why aren't people talking about this?

[gabby hayes]

My few contacts with McKenna in LAUSD some 15 years ago showed him to be a consistent demagogic, bullying racist. Like so many others, the race card was his bread and butter. In fact, other than bluster, it was his only card. Phelps had better watch his back. Cal Tech credentials won't count for much in the encounter with McKenna that is sure to follow. I just hope talk radio and Free Republic follow Scott's case. He's a brave, dedicated teacher, not at all like so many of the cliche-ridden hacks I worked with for 35 years in Los Angeles.

[Blue Screen of Death]

STFU, MF.

I am ashamed of myself. I knew what you were saying. S!

[Cicero]

If the black kids in his school are acting up and failing to do any work, it surely won't help them to condone it. Nor will help the other kids, mostly Hispanic, whose educations they are disrupting. The administrators and teachers need to at least try to correct the situation. And you can't fix a problem if you won't even admit that it exists and won't allow anyone to talk about it.

[Clara Lou]

This teacher can back up his comments. It is a scientifically documentable, observable fact that "loudness" is seen as a valuable trait among blacks, particularly black females, who come from "generational poverty." I work at a middle school. Absolutely, positively the screaming, yelling, deliberately loudest students are black girls who come from single-parent (mother only) homes. Such loudness is not valued by Hispanics or whites who come from a background of "generational poverty."

[Cicero]

Calling a spade a spade is an ancient English locution that goes back long before America was discovered and even longer before there was an American racial problem.

But there's no use crying over spilt milk. Calling a spade a spade isn't something you can say in most circles these days.

[blam]

Take your kids out of these slums called public schools!

[RightOnline]

What's the punchline of that old joke? "If the phoo shits, wear it?"

[zingzang]

This is along the lines of the liberals saying we can't say all terrorists are middle eastern men between 18 and 34. If it's not them, then who the hell is it? If black kids aren't the biggest discipline problem in that school, then who is?? Can't these morons get to the point and fix a problem rather than trying to ruin someone for bringing this fact to light? Nevermind, I'm talking about California teachers and their thug unions.