Deer Park Elementary School (Baltimore County Public Schools)
A white teacher in Maryland faced backlash after she posted photos of Black children used for humor and called them a degrading name.
In images sent to Atlanta Black Star from an anonymous source, Kelly Forostiak uses her students as props on Instagram. Her page – which is no longer available – showed she is a teacher at Deer Park Elementary in Maryland.
According to the source, Forostiak graduated from Urbana High School in Ijamsville, Maryland in 2010. Below, the teacher jokingly calls her fifth-grade students “little a——- that I somehow still love.”
When someone replies that she shouldn’t refer to the kids as such, Forostiak sticks to the witty approach.
“It’s okay, they are 11 going on 18,” she replied.
Another image shows a child dressed in a sombrero and a faux mustache.
“This is an African American Mexican,” Forostiak wrote in the caption.
And in yet another effort to use the children as memes, the 24-year-old posted a photo of a child wearing makeup and typed a stereotypical reaction.
“When all the kids and staff are questioning your lipstick but you just flash the ‘B—- I’m cute AF’ face,” the teacher wrote.
Facebook user Ronald Jackson shared the image of Forostiak posing with her 11-year-olds. Several commenters felt outraged over her actions.
Ana Rice deemed it “absolutely not okay” and thought Forostiak should leave her teaching job “if she doesn’t respect and care for the children.”
Ved Robinson believed teaching requires a “higher moral code” than other professions.
“It’s just inappropriate for teachers to do certain things,” Nicole Smith explained.
Yet others didn’t find an issue with Forostiak’s language about her pupils. Raymonda Gough sympathized with the teacher’s feelings. Then, Gough wondered if the opposition’s feelings would change if Forostiak were Black.
Tommy Bennett simply believes everyone overreacted. 
Meanwhile, Gains Bond believed the instructor should have “some type of privacy.”
In another defense, Ashley Briggs – who works for Baltimore country – said it was common for teachers to speak that way. She believes Forostiak is “probably the best teacher.”
Still, Iyoba Kaya thought there was a bigger problem with Black adults “justifying a white woman calling Black children” such a derogatory term.
“This is why we can’t win,” she said. “We won’t even defend our children.”
Regardless of the social media divide, The Baltimore Sun reported Forostiak’s expletive caused her to face disciplinary action. Baltimore County schools spokesperson Mychael Dickerson told the newspaper Forostiak regretted posting the image and making the comments. Dickerson declined to detail exactly what punishment the teacher will face. However, he noted Forostiak is currently employed in the school system and accepts her discipline.
