A public school teacher accused of calling one Native student a "bloody Indian" and cutting the hair of another won't be returning to work following an uproar in New Mexico.
The Advanced Placement teacher at
Cibola High School was placed on leave following the October 31 incident. According to news reports, her relationship with Albuquerque Public Schools was "severed," though it's not clear if she was fired or if she left on her own accord.
“It brought a sense of relief for my family knowing she is no longer part of APS to hurt another child,” Shannon Johnson, the mother of one of the affected students, told The Albuquerque Journal.
Johnson's daughter is Navajo, the paper said. McKenzie Johnson, 17, told Indian Country Today that she was dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood when the teacher questioned her.
“She said, 'Okay, what are you supposed to be? A bloody Indian?’ And I was, I was in shock," McKenzie told ICT.
McKenzie, a junior at Cibola, also said the teacher took a pair of scissors to hair of another Native girl and cut off some of the ends.
“And at that point, everybody was really shocked in class, like gasping, like ‘Oh my gosh. She actually just did that,’” McKenzie told ICT.
President Russell Begaye of the
Navajo Nation had called the incident a "cultural assault" on Native students, who represent about 5.1 percent of the student body.
He was joined by parents and activists in calling for the school to take action to address discrimination, racism and other issues in the school system.
"Although this is a victory, it doesn’t mean that we are satisfied with it," The Red Nation, an activist group, wrote in a
post on Facebook on Monday. "We understand that instances like this are a result of a system that doesn’t protect our Indigenous students."
Parents and activists plan to attend a
board of education meeting on Wednesday to call on the school district to do more for Native students.
More than 5,600 American Indians and Alaska Natives are enrolled at public
schools in Albuquerque, according to the
Indian Education
Department
The city is home to a large Native population -- about 4.4 percent -- and several reservations are located nearby.
Read More on the Story
Teacher at center of Halloween incident no longer with APS
(The Albuquerque Journal December 3, 2018)
Teacher no longer works for school after cutting Native American student's hair
(KOAT December 3, 2018)
APS severs ties with Cibola teacher
(KOB December 3, 2018)
Schools: Teacher won't return after 'bloody Indian' comment
(The Associated Press December 3, 2018)
New Mexico ACLU releases statement regarding Cibola HS teacher
(KOB December 1, 2018)
Halloween class goes awry; Dog food, taunts, and assaults on a student’s hair (Indian Country Today November 30, 2018)
APS Fires Teacher Accused of Targeting Native American Students
(KUNM November 29, 2018)
Navajo president, others call for APS action
(The Albuquerque Journal November 29, 2018)
Students, parents speak out against Cibola High teacher racism incident
(KRQE November 28, 2018)
ACLU puts pressure on APS to address racism after Cibola High incident (KRQE November 28, 2018)
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