PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — A teacher at a Pflugerville ISD middle school, whose identity has not been released, has now been let go after a video containing an "inappropriate conversation" started circulating around social media.
In the video, a teacher is having a discussion with some students inside a classroom. It's not clear how the conversation was started at Bohls Middle School, but the teacher was captured saying, "Deep down in my heart, I'm ethnocentric, which means I think my race is the superior one."
Parents like Dr. Shante Lyons said it's disheartening.
"I think the most disturbing piece is that it was a situation where kids had experienced this real-time," Lyons said.
The teacher hasn't been identified, nor has it been revealed what led up to the conversation.
Parent Brian Hennington said this kind of thing should never happen in a school.
"There are other personal experiences we've had as people of color that we had individually, but to see this in the classroom setting is just not acceptable," Hennington said.
There was more muffled exchange between a student and the teacher that is difficult to decipher. Below is the video of the conversation exchange at the middle school:
Pflugerville ISD Superintendent Dr. Douglas Killian released the following statement regarding the incident on Friday, stating that the teacher had been placed on leave:
"We are aware of an inappropriate conversation a teacher at Bohls Middle School had with students this week during an advisory class. This interaction does not align with our core beliefs as a district. The video of the conversation includes statements that we find wholly inappropriate. The teacher has been placed on administrative leave while Human Resources conducts an investigation.
"Pflugerville ISD and Bohls MS work together to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for our students. The advisory activity was inappropriate, inaccurate, and unacceptable. This type of interaction will not be tolerated in PfISD schools.
"Staff checked in with students today. Our counselors and administrators are always available if your student wants to discuss this situation further.
"We always do our best to ensure the safety of all students; we encourage them to be self-advocates and let an adult know when something is wrong, as they did in this situation; this could be to a parent, a teacher, or a counselor. If you see something, say something.
"We apologize for any undue stress or concern this has caused. As always, we appreciate the support of our families and community."
On Monday, Killian updated the PfISD community that the teacher is no longer employed, releasing the following statement:
"Last Friday, Nov. 11, Pflugerville ISD officials were made aware of an inappropriate conversation a teacher at Bohls Middle School had with students during an advisory class. As of Monday morning, Nov. 14, the teacher in question is no longer employed by Pflugerville ISD and we are actively looking for a replacement.
"In addition to providing this video to our administrators, the video was shared to social media by some in the class and has prompted local and national media attention. We apologize to any parents whose students have been included in the video without their knowledge.
"We want to reiterate that this conversation does not align with our core beliefs and is not a reflection of our district or our culture at Bohls Middle School. Pflugerville ISD and Bohls MS staff work together to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our students. The advisory discussion was inappropriate, inaccurate, and unacceptable; and this type of interaction will not be tolerated in any PfISD schools.
"We apologize to our students and families at Bohls Middle School for the undue stress or concern this has caused. We have counselors and administrators available for any of our students and families who want to discuss this situation further.
"We always do our best to ensure the safety of all students; we encourage them to be self-advocates and let an adult know when something is wrong, as they did in this situation. If you see something, say something.
"As always, we appreciate the support of our Bohls Middle School families and entire PfISD community."
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