Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

White NY Teacher Put On Leave After Forcing Black Students To Pick Cotton As Part Of Slavery Lesson

White NY Teacher Put On Leave After Forcing Black Students To Pick Cotton As Part Of Slavery Lesson
News 8 WROC/YouTube

A White seventh-grade social studies teacher has been placed on leave after the Rochester City School District in New York was made aware of his racist teaching practices that involved students picking seeds from cotton.

The teacher, Patrick Rausch, was reportedly teaching his predominantly Black students a slavery history lesson that required them to pick cotton and wear shackles and handcuffs.


An investigation was underway when outraged parents complained about the racist lesson.

You can watch a news report, here.

Rochester City School District teacher accused of making students pick cottonyoutu.be



School of the Arts seventh-grader Jahmiere O’Neal told WXXI that he was having a normal school day on Tuesday until he walked into his social studies class, and the lesson that day was about slavery and learning how to pick cotton.

“He gave the whole class cotton and we were made to pick out the cotton seeds,” said Jahmiere, adding, “He said, ‘Better clean it right, boy.’”

The White students in the classroom were allegedly allowed to work on their Chromebooks while the Black students were not given the option and had to pick cotton.

“We were all shocked. We were just surprised that he would give us cotton and we didn't know what to do," said O'Neal.

“It made me feel bad to be a Black person."

Parents are demanding for Rausch to be fired and for his license to be revoked.

A mother named Precious Tross–who also goes by Precious Morris–was furious after hearing about the hands-on lesson her daughter was subjected to in the classroom.

When Tross’s daughter, Ja’Nasia Brown, refused to participate after being told it was "for a good grade," Rausch threatened to send her to the principal's office.

“My daughter was looking to the floor. She should not have experienced something like that,” said Tross.

“That is a mockery. That is disrespectful. You do not put our kids in any situation like that when you know our history. That hurts me to the core.”

Tross took a photo of the pieces of cotton her daughter was given in class and posted it on Facebook, where it has been shared over 500 times.

Said Tross.

“I don’t have a problem with you teaching our kids about slavery and what our ancestors went through and how they had to pick cotton.”
“Our teachers back in the day told us that, but they don’t bring in cotton and make you pick cotton seeds out of cotton.”

On Thursday, the Rochester City School District said the teacher was put on investigative leave following complaints of the incident.

They did not specify whether his leave was paid or unpaid.

Rochester Teachers Association President Adam Urbanski withheld from "jumping to conclusions" until the investigation was complete.

He said that while simulations and roleplaying are not unusual approaches to teaching a lesson, he understood there is a fine line between what is acceptable and what is not.

“While we believe very strongly in due process and the right to an existing lawful protocol, we do not defend the indefensible,” Urbanski said.

“If someone departs from what they should be doing, they should suffer the consequences, but due process has to be allowed first.”

The school’s Principal Kelly Nicastro wrote a statement stating she was taking the “allegations very seriously,” and called the lesson “extremely troubling.”

More from News

Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Blasted For Announcing New Additions To The White House Lawn As Global Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump was criticized after announcing that two new flagpoles would be added to the North and South Lawns of the White House—not the greatest look amid heightened global unease as tensions between Israel and Iran ramp up.

According to the Associated Press, Trump watched as a crane installed the newest flagpole on the South Lawn, remarking, “It’s such a beautiful pole.” He later returned to the site to salute as the American flag was raised for the first time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Donald Trump from CNN supercut
CNN

Trump Mocked For 'Two Weeks' Iran Deadline With Supercut Of All His 'Two Weeks' Promises

President Donald Trump has a history of promising to resolve problems within "two weeks," and a new viral supercut mocks him for all the times he's said as much—including right now with tensions in the Middle East higher than ever.

Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to involve U.S. forces directly in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, citing what he called a “substantial chance” for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Barack Obama
Suzanne Plunkett-Pool/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Resurfaced Trump Tweet Criticizing Obama Over Iran Comes Back To Bite Him

Amid tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump was criticized for hypocrisy after social media users resurfaced a 2013 tweet in which he accused former President Barack Obama of planning an attack on Iran because of his "inability to negotiate properly."

Trump has declined to clarify whether the U.S. is edging closer to launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a warning from Iran’s supreme leader against any attack and a rejection of Trump’s demand for surrender.

Keep ReadingShow less