NJ Education Report

‘Quiet,’ an adult voice can be heard saying. ‘What I said was, ‘Is it OK if I use the word (racial slur)?’

This is an excerpt from a tape that was leaked to the Press of Atlantic City, which features a Pleasantville High School teacher speaking to his class. In the video, no longer available, a caption gives the last name of the teacher (which is being withheld) and the student says the teacher “is fried (sic), followed by several laughing emojis.”

Pleasantville Acting Superintendent Karin Farkas made the following statement:

“There was an incident that occurred at the Pleasantville High School that was brought to our attention by several students. The district has investigated the reports and the situation was addressed. We appreciate the diversity of the district’s students, staff, and community members and we will continue to ensure that every person is valued, respected, and has a voice.”

At Pleasantville, a Abbott/SDA district, 65% of students are Hispanic, 32% are Black, and 87% are economically-disadvantaged. Among the 3,700 students, 27% are proficient in reading and 17% are proficient in math, according to federal accountability standards. Pre-pandemic, 30% of high school students were chronically absent.

The Press notes that this incident follows another in neighboring Absecon last month when at a City Council meeting an attendee said, after a speaker finished, ““I didn’t know (expletive) were allowed at the meeting.”