Text by: José Luis Robledo
The teacher caught on video, referred to as Ms. Gardner, has been put on leave after she made those remarks and told her students not to dress as “thugs,” if they do not want to be targeted by cops.
“He didn’t. He didn’t comply. No, ok, wait, wait, wait. If George Floyd had at the beginning, when they got him out of the car, and went to put him in the police car, if he had just sidled into the car, and slid in there, and got you know let them put his legs in. He would be alive today and you know that’s true.”
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District sent out a letter notifying parents that the teacher in this video has been placed on leave pending an investigation. It’s unclear what started this whole conversation, but it begins with the teacher talking about how there have been “a lot of shootings with people of color.
“But, here’s the thing too, alright, look at how you guys are dressed. You guys are dressed nicely. You don’t look like thugs. You don’t have your pants down around your knees.”
The reason why you don’t hear about it though is because it doesn’t fit that angry white male narrative.” She then continues and starts discussing the police shooting of Ma’Khia Bryant.
She suggested that Columbus, Ohio, police officer Nicholas Reardon didn’t have time to choose between his gun and the taser. Ms. Gardner also advised her class that, in order to survive an encounter with the cops, you should do as you’re told no matter what.
“Remember what I said, justly or unjustly, if the cops come and they say: ‘I’m taking you to jail,’ then you put your hands behind your back, you let them off you, you get in the cop car, and you go and call your parents when they give you your phone call.”
This class definitely escalated quickly, don’t you think?
