PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — A teacher at Bohls Middle School, who was caught on video telling an eighth-grade class that his race is "superior," no longer works for Pflugerville ISD.
On Monday, eighth-grader Karmello Luellen, who can be seen talking in the video, spoke with KVUE. When asked how it made him feel, he said, "kind of upset, like, kind of mad."
The video was widely shared after his father, well-known music producer Southside, posted it in outrage.
In the video, taken on Thursday, you can hear and see the teacher say, "Deep down in my heart, I'm ethnocentric, which means I think my race is the superior one." You see the 13-year-old asking to go to the restroom while in advisory class, then the conversation took a turn.
"Everybody thinks that, they're just not honest about it," said the teacher.
"Hey, I'm not racist, though. I like all types of people," said Karmello.
"I think everybody's a racist at that level," said the teacher.
Karmello's mother, Janae Hardy, said she was shocked when she heard what happened.
"I was mad because I just felt like he shouldn't be a teacher," said Hardy.
She was mad for multiple reasons. Hardy said her son told her right away but staff at Bohls Middle School didn't call her.
"Someone should have contacted me personally," said Hardy. "If you're talking to my child, to have my child write a statement."
Pflugerville ISD said, as of Monday, the teacher no longer works for the district. It said in a statement: "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."
"Teachers don't entirely shed their First Amendment rights when they walk into school or classroom, but there's definitely limits," said University of Texas professor of education David DeMathews.
DeMathews said it's clear this teacher was not fit for the classroom and the need to invest in thoughtful and well-trained teachers has grown.
"Teachers are underpaid," said DeMathews. "A lot of our teachers now, in the state of Texas, 60% come from alternative certification backgrounds, so they tend to be under-prepared."
Karmello's mom prepared him for the tough conversation. She said she is proud of how he handled it.
"Hey, I'm not racist, though. I like all types of people," said Karmello in the now-viral video. "I actually had respect for you for a while but now I don't have any respect for you."
The family hopes this can be a lesson for everyone.
"Just don't be afraid to speak up, because if you don't speak up, nothing's ever going to be fixed or changed," said Hardy.
"Just don't hurt people's feelings," said Karmello.
Hardy said she thought about pulling her son out of the school but teachers reached out to her to let her know they stand with her.
Pflugerville ISD's full statement is below:
"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 on 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.
"Dr. Douglas Killian, Superintendent
"Pflugerville ISD"
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