A Georgia schoolteacher has been removed from the classroom pending an investigation into an anti-Confederate message projected onto a whiteboard during class last week.
Melissa Fuller, whose daughter attends Hephzibah High School in Richmond County, shared a photo of the “offensive” memo to Facebook, saying her daughter was upset over it.
A teacher at Hephzibah High School is out of the classroom after describing the Confederate flag as a “a white trash ‘Save the Date’ card.” (Photo: WRDW-TV / video screenshot)
Many shared her outrage over the incident. However, there were also critics who didn’t see what the big fuss was about.
According to Augusta’s WRDW-TV, the teacher on Monday displayed an image of the Confederate flag with the caption: “A sticker you put on the back of your pickup truck to announce you intend to marry your sister.”
“Think of it like a white trash ‘Save the Date’ card,” it continued.
The display was reportedly part of a class discussion and was used as an example of a story within a story, the Augusta Chronicle reported.
Fuller said she was more upset over the message than the Confederate imagery.
“A lot of is that it’s not morally correct,” she told WRDW. “It’s just something you do not want to discuss today in today’s world and especially inside of a classroom. Why would you put that out there for a class discussion that could’ve turned very ugly?”
The concerned mother also questioned why Confederate imagery was used in the first place, noting that her daughter was previously given in-school suspension for wearing a Confederate flag belt buckle.
“If she can’t wear that belt buckle, then why is it appropriate to make an assignment out of it?” Fuller added.
Many observers on social media didn’t see anything wrong with the lesson, however, or the teacher’s message.
“I don’t see where the teacher was incorrect in anything she said,” one Twitter user commented.
“The confederates did promote inbreeding as a way ‘to keep the purity of the white race,’ ” another said. “By extension marrying one’s cousin or sister was not far from the truth and did happen often. Pay this teacher double for teaching truth!”
One woman joked, “Woman deserves a raise. Where’s the GoFundMe so I can donate?!”
“I mean, where’s the lie?” another chimed in.
Richmond County Schools addressed the controversy and confirmed the teacher in question has been placed on administrative leave.
“The Richmond County School System is committed to creating a diverse, equitable learning environment for students,” the statement read, per the Augusta Chronicle. “The language used in the example was unacceptable and has no place in our classrooms.”
