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Northborough and Southborough Superintendent of Schools Gregory Martineau wrote that the two incidents happened in January and April. He said he did not learn about them until parents brought them to his attention on April 24.
An investigation found that during a history discussion in January, the teacher used students of color as stand-ins for slaves at an auction. They discussed the children's "teeth and strength" as part of the exercise, Martineau wrote.
An educator was teaching about the triangle trade, and slave auctions were discussed. During the lesson, the educator held an impromptu mock slave auction. The educator asked two children sitting in front of the room, who were of color, to stand, and the educator and class discussed physical attributes (i.e., teeth and strength).
Martineau called the lesson "unacceptable" and said it "violates the district’s core values."
The teacher's name was not released.
The teacher is also accused of using the "N-word" when discussing a book with their class despite the word not appearing in the text, Martineau said in his letter.
"Dehumanizing words such as slurs should not be spoken by employees or students," Martineau wrote. "Using such words can harm students and negatively impact an open discussion on a particular topic."
When the teacher learned that a student had reported them to school officials, the educator "inappropriately" called out the child in class, he said.
The teacher was placed on administrative leave as district officials investigated the incidents. Margaret A. Neary School Principal Kathleen Valenti was also placed on temporary paid administrative leave from May 6 through May 16 as part of the investigation, Martineau said.
Parents and students spoke with the teacher and school administrators about the incidents. Martineau said he wanted the process and investigation to be "transparent."
Personnel decisions are not a matter of public record, and it is unclear if the teacher was fired.
Martineau apologized for the incidents and promised to implement changes to the fall curriculum, including implementing cultural development for employees to prevent this from happening again.
Click here to read Martineau's complete letter to parents.
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