Mea Thompson and Zaria Daniel
During an eighth grade history lesson at Jay Stream Middle School located in Carol Stream, Illinois, students learned an extreme lesson in racism. An unidentified substitute teacher gave an 80 minute lecture on history which a few students found quite objectionable. During her lecture, she called the students African Americans. The students objected because they are Jamaican and did not consider themselves as coming from Africa.
The teacher then told them that she would just call them the n-word. The four students who objected were shocked and some were in tears when the teacher repeatedly used the offensive word throughout her lesson. One student even left the classroom overcome by the racist tirade by the teacher. Two students, Mea Thompson and Zaria Daniel, decided to take action and told their stories to their parents and school administration. Thompson stated “She continued to call us that and said it’s the politically correct term. Then she said, “well back then. you guys would be considered the n-word”. We were so shocked and we were like “What? Excuse me?”and she continued to use the n-word.”
After an investigation, the school district did in fact confirm that the substitute teacher did use the n-word throughout the class lecture and substantiated all versions of the student’s account. The school district informed the media that the female teacher would not be allowed to work at the school again. The mother of Mea Thompson, Shayna Thompson, stated “After the shock and hurt, I’m angry. It’s a new world, and the people of the past that still hang on to hatred and bigotry don’t belong in this world anymore.” Thompson is planning to file a police report to see if the teacher can be charged with a hate crime or disorderly conduct.
