An elementary school teacher was fired after she used black students to reenact slave auctions at a private school just north of New York City. The fifth-grade teacher at The Chapel School in Westchester County conducted the same demonstration with students from two different social studies classes.
During a lesson on the slave trade in America, the teacher asked the black students to step out into the hallway. She went outside and put imaginary chains on them and marched them back into the classroom, where she lined them up in front of their classmates and proceeded to auction them off.
The New York Attorney General's Office launched an investigation into the incident, which occurred in March, and ordered the school to make changes to its curriculum and policies.
"Every young person -- regardless of race -- deserves the chance to attend school free of harassment, bias, and discrimination," Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. "Lessons designed to separate children on the basis of race have no place in New York classrooms, or in classrooms throughout this country."
The school must increase the number of minorities that work at school, and increase the amount of financial aid they offer to minority students. The school must also hire a chief diversity officer to ensure that the school is focusing on diversity and inclusion.
The school agreed to the changes and issued a statement saying they took immediate action against the teacher when they learned of her actions.
"We accept responsibility for the overall findings, and we are committed to implementing all items outlined by the Attorney General to help us deepen our cultural competence," school Principal Michael Schultz said in a statement.
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