What's the coffee of your skin? Florida teacher fired for racism

A math teacher in a Florida high school has been terminated following an incident described as having racial undertones.

Cary Altschuler, who taught AP statistics and precalculus at Lake Worth High School, displayed pictures of three students on the smart board with labels equating their skin tones to various coffee roasts. ‘Extra Cream,’ ‘Medium Roast,’ and ‘Dark Roast’.

Altschuler claimed that he did this in response to two students teasing each other about being “light-skinned,” suggesting that they should be more creative if they were going to mock each other’s skin color.

This incident took place in February and resulted in Altschuler’s dismissal by the Palm Beach County School Board, following an investigation.

The principal of Lake Worth High School, Dr. Elena Villani, referred to the incident as “egregiously inappropriate” and issued an apology to parents, acknowledging the distressing nature of the situation.

According to WPTV, Altschuler admitted to posting the students’ pictures on the smart board during his math class, using images obtained from the SIS software used for grading and attendance records.

Some students who witnessed the incident expressed their discomfort to several teachers at the school and also shared their distressing experience on social media.

‘It was a joke’
The former teacher initially claimed that he was joking with his students but later acknowledged that he had made a significant error.

He admitted that it was wrong for him to engage in a discussion about skin tones. He offered his apology to Principal Elena Villani, acknowledging that he had acted inappropriately.

According to reports from WPTV, Altschuler also confessed to making statements suggesting that slavery was not as terrible as it seemed, presenting a plantation owner’s perspective.

In the investigative documents obtained by WPTV, Altschuler mentioned that he did not adhere to traditional teaching methods and that this was his second career.

He stated that he taught the required material and standards to his students, but he also aimed to encourage critical thinking and independent problem-solving rather than relying solely on the teacher’s guidance.

During the investigation, Altschuler was removed from the classroom and placed in a role where he would not have any interaction with students.

As part of the investigation, his students reported feeling that he exhibited racist behavior and made uncomfortable statements during their math classes, as reported by WPTV.

The former teacher, who had been employed at the high school since 2020, was officially dismissed by the Palm Beach County School Board on Wednesday.

The termination will take effect on August 25. CBS12 reported that the board cited ethical violations, specifically mentioning his involvement in bullying or harassing behavior based on race.

When interviewed by a news outlet, the former teacher expressed his acceptance of the consequences and stated that he would not contest the school board’s decision, as reported by Fox News.

Prior to working at Lake Worth High School, Altschuler had taught in Hollywood and Broward County.

According to his LinkedIn profile, as of this month, Altschuler is currently employed as a freelance data analyst.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.