WRDW/PA ImagesA high school teacher in Georgia was placed on administrative leave after telling her class the Confederate flag symbolises an intent to ‘marry your sister’.
The teacher, who has not been named, allegedly made the comment to her students during a PowerPoint presentation she gave at Hephzibah High School on Monday (September 30).
An image of the presentation was shared by one of the student’s parents, Melissa Fuller, who said her daughter was offended by the teacher’s message.
Watch Melissa talk about the presentation here:
The photo showed the Confederate flag pictured next to some text, which read:
A sticker you put on the back of your pickup truck to announce that you intend to marry your sister. Think of it like a white trash ‘Save the Date’ card.
In reality, the Confederate flag is based on battle flags used by a number of armies in the American civil war between Southern slave-owning states and rest of the Union in the north. It later became a symbol of rebel pride.
While some take pride in its history, the flag has become a symbol of slavery and white supremacy in the US.
PixabayMelissa told WRDW her daughter sent her a photo of the presentation and asked what she thought of it. The mother then posted the image to Facebook, where fellow parents and community members shared their opinions.
She said a lot of the comments were from people who shared her concern, adding:
A lot of is that it’s not morally correct. It’s unethical. It’s just something you don’t want to discuss today in today’s world and especially inside of a classroom.
Melissa explained her daughter once wore a Confederate flag belt buckle to school, where she was asked to take it off. Though the student obliged, she got an in-house suspension.
WRDWThe mother went on to say her biggest problem wasn’t with the use of the flag, but with the text associated with it.
Melissa continued:
Why was that used? With it being such a rough area, why would you put that our there to a class discussion that could have turned very ugly?
WRDWThe teacher responsible for sharing the image has not commented on the matter but the Richmond County School System released a statement, saying:
The Richmond County School System is committed to creating a diverse, equitable learning environment for all students. The language used in the example was unacceptable and has no place in our classrooms.
The district launched an investigation into the teacher after Melissa shared the image of the PowerPoint online. It is unclear whether she will return to work at the school.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.