Several videos of a teacher from Riverside, California have been posted on social media, exposing her for pretending to be an Indigenous person and mimicking Native practices.
The teacher from John W. North high school, Candice Reed, was giving a math lesson on SOH CAH TOA, a mnemonic to remember the trigonometric functions sine, cosine and tangent.
When Reed pulled out a "fake feather headdress" and began "war hooping & tomahawk chopping," an Indigenous student began filming her offensive mimicking.
That student "has a Native first name and outwardly identifies as Native American" according to the Instagram posts that have been re-shared widely, as well as across Twitter.
The caption said:
"At first the student noticed the teacher was pulling out a fake feather headdress and when she put it on he thought, 'What is she going to do?'"
"I am sharing this video because these behaviors can no longer be swept under the rug!"
"As adults, we must stand up for our youth! Please help us in getting the word out and SHARE!"
The caption continued:
"We need to end abuse & discrimination against Indigenous youth in schools!"
"There is no excuse for this type of behavior."
"We're not in the 1960s anymore, she should know better."
Other accounts with large followings have shared the video like actor Eugene Brave Rock (@genebraverock), the Lakota People's Law Project (@lakotalaw) and Indigenous Peoples Movement (@indigenouspeoplesmovement).
The caption also asked for followers to call or email the principal, Jodi Gonzales, the superintendent Renee Hill, the deputy superintendent Tim Walker and the assistant superintendent Dr. Ryan Lewis.
Many are sharing the video to Twitter and wondering why she needed a racist display mocking Indigenous culture to help students remember the lesson.
Riverside Unified School District has released a statement about the teacher.
It said:
"A recording of one of our teachers has been widely circulated on social media."
"These behaviors are completely unacceptable and an offensive depiction of the vast and expansive Native American cultures and practices."
"Her actions do not represent the values of our district. The teacher has been placed on leave while the District conducts an investigation."
"The Riverside Unified School District values diversity, equity and inclusion, and does not condone behavior against these values."
"We are deeply committed to implementing inclusive practices and policies that honor the rich diversity of our district and the greater region."
"We will be working with our students, families, staff and community to regain your trust."
The districts Board of Education has a meeting tonight at 4:00.
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