06/05/2007
Tennessee Teacher Suspended for Gay/Racial Slur Lesson
Stephen Henry, a 21-year teaching veteran and recently-elected vice president of the Metro Nashville Education Association, has been placed on administrative leave and will face a three-day suspension from his sixth-grade teaching job after attempting to teach one of his students about the usage of offensive slurs.
Henry reportedly heard the student describe something as "gay" so he asked the student how she would feel being called the N-word. The student's mother said that "she felt the teacher was using the 'what-if' scenario as an excuse to call her the racial slur."
Said the mother, Anzora Lee-Starks: "I don't think he meant it to come out the way it did, but I think my daughter was very hurt, and I was very upset about it. I teach my children not to use that word. I think he made a very poor choice in trying to explain something that is over their heads and using the n-word in the way he did. "I think he's aware what he said was inappropriate for that age group. Maybe high school or college you might have that kind of exchange and be able to say the word and it would be a discussion. It wasn't a discussion."
In an email to the school's principal, Henry wrote: "Because it has been my practice all year long to address teachable moments when they present themselves ... I felt compelled to pursue that lesson. I stated that regardless of what one means, when emotionally-charged words are used, the intent of the speaker is often never heard or understood by those who actually hear the offending words."
According to the Dickson Herald, "Henry is a professional actor who has won numerous awards as a human rights activist and serves as vice president of the Tennessee Equality Project, a group dedicated to advancing the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents. He also is a member of the executive committee for the Metro Nashville Education Association and teaches training courses on safety and gay and lesbian issues."
Teacher suspended after discussion with student about gay, racial slurs [wbir]
Teacher suspended for slur lesson [tr]
Posted 10:34 AM EST by Andy Towle in Education, Gay Slurs, News, Tennessee | Permalink
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So the teacher is suspended for using the N word in a lesson but the school board and parents defend the student for using the word "gay" in a derogatory way? I guess that makes sense in Tennessee. We have a real problem here because "gay" has many meanings, and nigger only has one. I'm not defending the little girl, however I doubt she has any idea what she's saying, and the reports of what she said don't warrant her being called a nigger by her teacher...at least that's my opinion. There's a real lesson here, but I'm not sure he went about it the right way. It's a touchy subject, and I give him credit for making an attempt, but I believe the mother is right that this lesson would be better suited for an older audience.
Posted by: Wayne | Jun 5, 2007 10:42:18 AM
Sounds like he will reserve his "what-if" scenarios for adults and not project them onto sixth-graders from now on.
A simple reprimand/correction is all that was needed.
Posted by: forreal | Jun 5, 2007 10:47:03 AM
The teacher's point is made by the reaction to the lesson. He should not be suspended. In fact, he should be applauded. He deserves a freaking medal.
I understand that the little girl may have been upset, but so are lots and lots of other little boys and girls who have to hear the word "gay" flung around like an insult. "That's so gay!" is extremely offensive, since in this context the word "gay" stands to mean something weird or undesirable.
Words do hurt. The "N" word hurts. But so does being called faggot, queer, pansy, sissy, cocksucker, fudgepacker, etc.
Quite frankly, I believe the only reason that Henry is suspended is because he is a white man who used a verboten word. He didn't use it an a pejorative way. He didn't call the little girl a "nigger". He asked her how she would feel being called that, and used it as a comparison to the way that the word "gay" was being used.
Are we so oversensitive now that one cannot even so much as think about the word "nigger" even in a non-racial context?
When will they start pulling rap CDs off the shelf and suspending artists who REGULARLY use the same word?
Posted by: Jonathon | Jun 5, 2007 10:49:30 AM
The mother said:” I teach my children not to use that word" (the "N" word). But clearly the mother doesn’t feel the need to teach her children not to use the word "gay" in a negative context. Typical! When will discrimination in any form be considered discrimination!!!
Posted by: Jake | Jun 5, 2007 10:49:48 AM
Jonathon, I agree with you 100%! Kids are never too young to learn how to hate and they are certainly never too young to be taught not to hate. The mother is an idiot and so is the school board.
Posted by: Will | Jun 5, 2007 11:04:39 AM
White kids use say that's so gay all the time. What would he said if the kid had been white? He's a teacher for christ's sake. He can explain that using gay in a derogatory fashion is wrong without having to use a racial slur as an example.
But, no, since it's a black kid, he has to go there. He's just dying to remind the kid that since they they were once a nigger, they should not look down on gays. And if it had been a white kid, well, he would have found another way to tell them it's wrong that wouldn't be particularized for the white kid.
I love these fools who think that they have to come up with a special explanation for black kids involving the N word that they wouldn't use for white kids, and then wonder why they get flack for it. Well, he's got time to work it out now.
Posted by: SGR | Jun 5, 2007 11:06:25 AM
And seriously, a three day suspension is no big deal-in fact, it seems very appropriate. If he had a problem with it, he could have taken her and dealt with her one on one and not even gone there in front of the other kids.
And I think if the kid had been white, he wouldnt have particularized it for the white kid-there is no word that you can call a white person that has the visceral and historical impact of calling a southern black child a 'nigger'. So maybe he actually was getting off on using the word.
Posted by: Charles | Jun 5, 2007 11:10:28 AM
I'd say the lesson was well-learned. As a matter of fact, she WOULDN'T like it.
Posted by: Mateo Feo | Jun 5, 2007 11:11:20 AM
Actually, the N-word has 2 meanings. 1 for the non-african american folks and 1 for amongst the african american folks.
I think he should have gotten a medal. He was trying to teach tolerance, by comparing g word to n word.
Posted by: Landis | Jun 5, 2007 11:13:03 AM
Who knows what would have happened if it had been a white kid that had said it..but thats the whole pooint he's trying to make I think..People who could be called niggers, or spics, or any other horribly racist name, should be the last people to spout off with negative gay words. Though, I do think that the "thats gay" fad will pass. When I was little, my friends and I said "thats jewish", but that didnt last very long either.
Posted by: Chris | Jun 5, 2007 11:23:58 AM
The irony!
Posted by: anon (gmail.com) | Jun 5, 2007 11:26:24 AM
I actually just got in a discussion with my friend about the "thats gay' thing a couple days ago. She had said that a party she had gone to was "really gay" because its sucked and nobody showed up and I told her she shouldnt say that..and then she got on my ass because I had just earlier in the day said something like "the Tony awards are the gayest thing ive ever seen on tv." The difference was that I meant, that the Tony awards are literally brimming with homosexuals.
Posted by: Chris | Jun 5, 2007 11:28:54 AM
Although I agree that the teacher should not have been suspended, I think what he did was totally self-serving.
The student referred to someTHING as gay. He introduced a comparison by using someONE and chose the word nigger to inflame the discussion.
Being a 21 year veteran teacher, I think he could have approached this in a much more appropriate way, andwithout a scintilla of controversy.
Posted by: Stephen | Jun 5, 2007 11:37:54 AM
What is so bizarre about this whole exchange is the mother's reaction. Her comment of maybe this type of exchange would be more appropriate in a high school or college setting is laughable. They are sixth graders, not six year olds. Who knows, perhaps her daughter is in a class for the mentally challenged. Otherwise, her claims that one should wait to challenge discriminatory language until the speaker is an adult is absurd. Attitudes are much more malleable at a younger age. And simply telling someone not to use a word or phrase is incredibly unlikely to cause a meaningful change in behavior or attitude unless it is accompanied by an explanation that the speaker can emotionally understand. Even more to the point, what about the gay students who hear her comments. Somehow they are suppposed to nuance that the girl's derogatory language is not addressed at them (or the class of persons to which they belong), while her mother presumes that her daughter is not sophisticated enough to follow a simple analogy.
All that being said, however, the teacher's point would have been more aptly, and less offensively, made if he had compared something being referred to as "gay" to something being referred to as "black". There is a big difference between this comparison and what he said. I still have friends who have referred to something as "gay" in a derogatory sense. I dont' have friends who have referred to me as a "faggot" in a derogatory sense.
Posted by: anon | Jun 5, 2007 11:38:12 AM
Knowing how reactionary parents and school administrators can be, this guy really could have made his point without necessarily using offensive language. Particularly given that this kid was african-american and from the south, there's really no reason to allow the n-word to enter into the discussion. Classrooms should maintain a safe learning environment for everyone, including kids of color and kids who are gay.
This was clearly a relatively good concept that was very badly executed.
Posted by: Brian | Jun 5, 2007 11:42:13 AM
SGR wrote: "But, no, since it's a black kid, he has to go there. He's just dying to remind the kid that since they they were once a nigger, they should not look down on gays."
SGR, you assume motives that aren't there. You even go on to accuse the guy of "getting off" by using the slur. You assume that because he's a white guy he is "just dying" to use the "N" word. You assume that we white gays have a chip on our shoulder and that we think that blacks are "lesser" than we are. You are wrong.
However, since blacks WERE discriminated against, why is it unfair to expect blacks to be more tolerant of other minorities? Sorry, but I refuse to take homophobic abuse from a black person. I have fought long and hard against racism, and I won't stand by and take homophobia from another minority.
And yes, it is an interesting question as to what he would have said if the kid were white. Any suggestions, SGR?
Posted by: Jonathon | Jun 5, 2007 11:46:03 AM
Jeesh. Why o why are we still convinced that being part of minority should make you more sensitive to others minorities? History teaches us a different lesson but we refuse to pay attention.
"It is not my experience that life's difficulties make people more charitable"--- C. McCarthy, "All the Pretty Horses"
Posted by: James | Jun 5, 2007 11:46:24 AM
Too many white gays are not sincere on this issue, and I've been too emotional in the past to see it. Emotional? Emotional about being the target of violent black gay-bashing throughout my life, and being a ferocious critic of blacks who gay bash. But I've discovered that many white gays are racist anywayt and wait (with gleeful anticipation) to use the word "nigger" at any opportunity they find.
The six grader used the word "gay" in a negative way. Well, the word "black" or "Negro" can be used in a negative way.
For instance,"Now, little Tanisha, if you mispelled a word, and little Robert E Lee (remember we're in Tennessee) said,'oh, is that the way black people spell?', how would you feel, little Tanisha?"
To say that something is so "gay" does not require that a teacher should bring up the word "nigger." To explain that calling something "so gay" and mean it in a derogatory way, is to show ignorance and stupid misuse of language--that would be appropriate. If the child had called a gay classmate (or anyone) a faggot, then the teacher should have discussed the insult "nigger" and other racial/ethnic slurs.
Of course, if little Tanisha saw what big Isaiah went through, she may decide, "apologize? for what? it won't do any good."
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Jun 5, 2007 11:47:46 AM
I agree with her Mother, after seeing the anti-black rants by gay men on this and other cyberspace boards daily that these cowards use all the while demading that they are fair minded. It isn't exactly the right way to go about it and he was wrong, and should have been fired. The n-word carried far more weight, as is evidenced by posters here who throw it around quite freely, than any anti-gay slur, and if he was as "good" a teacher, he would have went about it in a different way, and not make a KID, which is what she is feel bad.
Now, please feel free to attack me as you all love to do when called out because he was wrong to do this sort of a "lesson" in a 6 grade class. Sorry, I refuse to take homophobia, sexism and racism from anyone, including the little boys in cyberspace. And, unless you are a parent, and its your kid being verbally abused by racist slurs or gay ones, just how can you know what it feels like?
Posted by: Cory | Jun 5, 2007 11:56:57 AM
WHY CAINT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG
Posted by: tom | Jun 5, 2007 11:58:57 AM
The teacher had no business using the word "nigger" that way. Get real. Using "gay" in a derogatory manner does reach the level of "nigger." The mother is right, an eleven year old is not sophisticated enough to not be hurt by that word. The teacher needlessly isolated the girl in front her classmates. He used extremely poor judgment. Instead of focusing on the girl, why didn't he talk about how words can be hurtful in general?
He could have done a much better job of teaching. What if he had used "girly" instead? How often do people say that "running or throwing like a girl" is wrong? Wouldn't that have been a less offensive, traumatic way of teaching an 11-year-old?
As for criticizing the mother for the girl's use of "gay," how many African-American women actually describe things as being "so gay"? That's a phrase learned from other children not adults.
Posted by: noah | Jun 5, 2007 12:07:09 PM
The last "Cory' post is not from me as I've posted on here for a while. While I see "Cory's" point, I do not agree 100%. I believe the teacher made a valid point and I agree with another previous poster that the mothers point that these "kids" are too young is ludicrous. It is precisely at that age that children learn behavioral traits and idea's that stem into their adult hood. The teacher's comparison was extremely on point as using the n-word holds a more personal tone, bringing the "gay" comment full circle. Kids need to learn at the earliest age possible what is acceptable and empathy towards others who may be perceived "different". Sarah Jessica Parker is an excellent example of mothering, as the previous posts on Towleroad show her teaching her kids through acceptance of others at the earliest age possible...
And Anon (gmail.com), it is VERY ironic indeed lol ;)
Posted by: Cory (the original lol) | Jun 5, 2007 12:08:19 PM
"Too many white gays are not sincere on this issue.....
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Jun 5, 2007 11:47:46 AM"
EXACTLY Derrick from Philly
and they are ignorant, stupid or just plain foolish enough to think that black people don't recognize their lies and lack of sincerity....
This teacher was projecting his issues with the black people who may call gay people "faggots", "fags", etc on an 11 YEAR OLD! who said something was "gay".....
He was inappropriate and stepped over the line and it is painfully obvious in this and nearly every other thread on this site that inappropriate seems to be the norm for many tacky, limited, self-serving, self-absorbed gays....
Posted by: forreal | Jun 5, 2007 12:09:27 PM
I agree with the point that the teacher was trying to make to the extent that he thought that the student's intent was offensive. However, kids often use the word gay in a way to describe something as weird or unusual. (You really don't use the n-word that way. If she'd called someone a faggot, I think the analogy the teacher tried to draw would have been much, much closer. And as for expecting black people to be more compassionate regarding gay people, that is not, unfortunately, realistic. Experiences with oppression don't necessary make people more understanding. There are racist Jews, homophobic blacks, and prejudiced gays. At the end of the day people, irrespective of their orientation, race, or gender, etc., are individuals. Assuming that a person can't be prejudiced because she is black or racist because he is gay (i.e., seeing the world as other than it is) only is only going to cause unecessary stress. I went on a business trip to Memphis and assumed that the black people at the hotel where I was staying would be homophobic. However, they were incredibly welcoming and totally cool. The way to go through life is to treat people as individuals and let them be who they are without projecting.
Posted by: Brandon | Jun 5, 2007 12:25:41 PM
First of all, every ethnic group has a slur associated with it. Whites can generally be called a cracker although it can be refined by their nation of origin. Of course it doesn't have the same bite to it as nigger because of the difference in majority/minority power.
That aside, gay isn't to nigger or cracker, no matter what the context. If she had used faggot, ok then you can bring in other slurs to compare it to. Of course, the teacher didn't figure that much out and went right for the racial slur without so much as a second thought. He could have asked how she would have felt due to a negative connotation of using "That's so girly" or "That's so black".
Then again several black folks I know refer to 'lower caste' black folks in a derogatory manner by saying "He's so ghetto" while being careful to never say nigger. People will always find ways to demean each other using language and it's somewhat futile trying to eradicate it since new memes are introduced so often.
Posted by: Anon | Jun 5, 2007 12:37:25 PM