Southborough elementary school teacher accused of holding mock slave auction, using N-word

A fifth-grade teacher in Southborough, Massachusetts, is accused of being on the wrong side of history.

The faculty member at Margaret A. Neary Elementary School is on paid leave for allegedly making several racially insensitive comments on at least two occasions during class this semester.

"It's just poor judgment," said Nom, a school parent whose son is in that class. "It's unfortunate; it's very concerning."

Nom said she only knew of one incident until Thursday, when Superintendent Gregory Martineau wrote to the school community about the scope of the problem.

"My son had good experiences with that specific teacher, which is why this was very shocking and very appalling to hear about," said Nom.

Martineau said the unnamed teacher held a mock slave auction in class in January and asked two students of color to stand so the class could discuss their physical attributes.

Then in late April, the same teacher allegedly read, aloud, a non-approved book during English arts class and said the N-word.

The district would later find out that word was not in the textbook.

"In terms of people having to understand that history, that's very important," said Nom. "But I think there's ways to teach the history without having to be offensive."

The teacher met with Nom and other parents about what happened. But then the next day, the teacher allegedly called out the student who complained.

"I think that it should be rectified," said Sarah Alinovi, a parent of a child who will soon enroll in Southborough Public Schools. "If it happens over and over again, then, you know, it should be addressed."

The superintendent admits there were missteps and announced a series of actions, including the development of a plan focusing on cultural competency, working with education consultants, accelerating the professional development of their staff, strengthening internal reporting procedures, and following up with students and families in that class.

Rahsaan Hall, the president and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, believes this is an opportunity to correct course.

"They should certainly be intentional and proactive about developing practices and engaging the community on these difficult topics to raise awareness and not leave it up to the reckless efforts of a single teacher," said Hall.

The school's principal, Kathleen Valenti, was also placed on leave for a week earlier in May.

The superintendent said the district is still investigating, while the fate of the teacher is still unclear.