America suspends elementary school teacher after casting two of her pupils of colour as slaves in a school play.
They were to be whipped by other children as part of the play featuring fifth graders – 10 or 11 year olds. “The scene starts with nameless slaves [number] one and two getting pushed towards the ship by the slave owner and a child is acting as the slave owner.”
The teacher, who is white, has been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of an investigation. A local school’s official said the play was not a part of the curriculum, and that it had not been approved by the district.
The parents of a mixed-race girl, aged 10, complained to the school and other officials in Hamden, Connecticut calling for diversity training for teachers in the district.
