A white Long Island, New York gym teacher has been suspended from the classroom after video surfaced online Monday of him and a Black student yelling and cursing at one another.
CBS New York reports that students gathered Tuesday in support of Hewlett High School gym teacher Chris Passuello because they believe he was only doing his job.
According to the report by CBS New York, the shouting match was over the student’s cell phone. Passuello continued to ask the young man to put away his phone and the student refused.
In the video, viewers can hear Passuello raise his voice to the student:
“You don’t listen to anyone! I am respectfully asking you to put your phone down! You don’t! I’m respectfully asking you to stop talking! You don’t … You just don’t stop!”
The student responds, demanding that the physical education teacher stop violating his space:
“You don’t need to touch your face on my face! That’s the thing! You don’t have to take my f***ing bubble!”
“You are so tough! You’re tough!” the teacher says sarcastically. “This is really intimidating!”
It appears that the student uses the n-word in the video.
Then the gym teacher responds with:
“You’re calling me a n****r?” the coach says. “Get out of the class!”
