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Teacher suspended for using N word to describe Obama

Staff Reporter | Posted October 3, 2008 1:58 PM

A Florida middle school teacher has been suspended without pay after he used the n word in class to describe Senator Barack Obama.

Marianna Middle School 7th grade teacher and coach Greg Howard was suspended without pay for 10 days starting Thursday for making racial slurs at presidential candidate Barack Obama, WJHG News Channel 7 reported.

"Our source told us Howard asked his students what 'change' stood for and proceeded to write out the acronym 'change'- come help a n(word) get elected," according to the report broadcast on Thursday. Howard actually used the word "nigger" but the TV report changed the racial slur to "the n word" instead.

Jackson County's deputy school superintendent says he's received conflicting reports, but he can confirmed the n word was used," the report said. (The video of the news report is available on the RawStory web site.)

Howard was transferred to the Jackson County Adult Education Program but at least one parent interviewed for the story said that's not enough. Howard is required to attend diversity and sensitivity training as a part of the disciplinary action.

Articles written by a Staff Reporter are unsigned reports from a member of the staff.

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Comments 33

Ostend Street
2008-10-03 16:41:26

That's only the tip of the iceberg. In the year 2008 we are the laughing stock of the globe. One of the great powers of the world is finally beginning to fall behind because we cannot get away from our racist history. This problem will doom us to ignorance and ridicule.

Bayo
2008-10-03 18:17:28

So true Ostend, for it is written, racial and religous wars would defeat the US, world powers changes, a our time is almost up.

Randall
2008-10-03 19:07:22

Wonder how much Obama and the Dem's paid him to do it for the publicity?

E.J.
2008-10-03 19:13:41

Randall, There are plenty of ignorant people who say it for free everyday.

Randall's Smarter Twin
2008-10-04 00:01:01

As much as McCain's paid you o post here, you schmuck!

Mrs Mavis Gibson
2008-10-04 11:09:58

In 2008 this racist gets to keep his job? I know there are millions who feel this way, but, give me a break, spewing this hate to 7th graders, while being paid by BLACK citizens as well as those who may agree with this bigot??? The worse thing is that someone on the school board thinks that "diversity and sensitivity" training will help this full blown racist, who has no business being around children or decent people in society.

Robert D
2008-10-04 15:02:32

It is actually a good joke among adults espically if it would have been said by a black comiedian.But there is no place for it in a middle school class room.

Deja vu
2008-10-06 14:52:55

This doesn't surprise me. The same thing recently happen to me when I worked for Northrop Grumman Laser Systems, a goverment defense contractor in Apopka, Fl. A white co-worker called me the n-word and ask if I attend Black Panther meetings in my spare time. Northrop Grumman said it was a joke, while the EEOC said that using the n-word once didn't create a hostile work environment. The white co-worker wasn't terminated for his comments, but shortly after filing a discrimination charge with the EEOC, I was terminated. The story ran under "worker uses n-word" on WFTV in Orlando, and it also ran under "worker sues over n-word" on CNN News

Ben
2008-10-06 18:41:00

Jeremiah Wright can stand in front of his congregation every week and spew anti-white rhetoric and it's okay? And we're supposed to ask what the context of his remarks were? And he not only keeps his job but makes a heck of a lot more money doing it than a schoolteacher in Florida? I am neither condemning Wright nor excusing Howard. But the double standard in race relations in this country continues to baffle me. If racial equality in thought and deed is what we really want, then the rules should apply to everyone, regardless of what color they were born.

Jade
2008-10-08 07:59:19

Ben, for the record people attend church by choice, children attend school by mandate, you know the law. These children had no choice they had to be in that class room. Racism in the 21st century is ridiculous, but let he who is without sin pave the way. Yea kind of hard isn't it. Oh by the way Rev Wright is not the only minister with an opinion in BIG churches across the US. Again Racism is what brought attention to him and the quest of the republicans to find an albatross for Obama. Didn�t work, all it did was made people examine McCain more closely.

Ready 4 Change
2008-10-08 13:57:56

I am a new parent, a US citizen, and Afro-American and it hurts my heart on all 3 levels that this is what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life. It's one thing to have lived during Civil War times, when this word was a part of daily conversation. It's another thing to taint the minds of our children, the future, and TEACH them prejudice. Our children are a product of their environment. If you want the racism to stop, stop being a racist! How can we expect to heal the wounds when people keep pouring alcohol on them! Someone needs to explain to the racist society that Obama just might be YOUR NEXT PRESIDENT, representing YOUR country for better or worse, and protecting YOU from the same hate and terror that you are forcing on our future.

Miss L
2008-10-08 15:17:01

The fact that this occurred doesn't bother me one bit and I am an African American. There are far worse things that can be said and done. Plus, we use the "n" word so much ourselves, we have no place to be that angry.

Bob
2008-10-08 21:32:28

As a Canadian, I can confirm that the rest of the world is not laughing at America, its much more like a quiet pity

Funny for real
2008-10-09 15:04:53

C.H.A.N.G.E was a text message joke going around for a while now. I must admit I laughed, but not at the content. I laughed because I wonder who sat there and made it up.

Lee
2008-10-09 15:11:14

He should be made to do community service in black neighbourhood - if not give him the pink slip

Deris Taylor
2008-10-09 16:45:53

I actually heard this by my friend, and told my mom and I am black by the way and we laughed, but because we can use the word "nigga" not nigger amongst us. It is different. We love obama but it is a black thing. A black man can say to his friend hey I like john thats "my nigga" its actually a term of endearment.. (john could even be white) but said by a white person and said in a middle school to be derogotory and said with nigger the "er is what makes this dirty. I know a lof of caucasian people may not understand.. but I guess you should not say what you do not understand.

RICHARD
2008-10-09 17:22:43

THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE I AM AFRICAN AMERICAN THIS IS STUPIDITY AT ITS FINEST. I AM NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL WE SEE HIS POSITION DIMINISHED. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO THINK THIS IS A LAUGHING MATTER A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE. NOW LETS SAY THAT ONE OF THE BLACK PARENTS CAME UP THEIR AND BROKE HIS NOSE OF ALL OF SUDDEN THE STORY WOULD HAVE BEEN TWISTED LIKE HE WAS A VICTIM. FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RACIST FOR YOU SAFETY YOU BETTER KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSE.

Randy
2008-10-09 20:54:37

Hey Richard... Stupidity is selling crack on street corners and guess who does it the most? Stupid id as stupid does. I think it is a laughing matter, you blacks seem to think it's ok your race to call each other nigger and you call us honkeys so if the show fits wear it.

davestarr
2008-10-10 20:26:53

Now matter how you feel, this was a school teacher and that is horrible. I'm sure white people wouldn't like some black teacher telling children the white race are disease spreading demons on earth, etc. Black people do stupidly (yes stupidly) call each other nigger but i can tell you that centuries of hate and disgusting evil are not applied when black people use the word. That's why it's different when white people say it, they just don't want to admit that. America can indeed be the greatest civilization in the history of mankind if the powers that be would just leave the race bullshit behind for once. The US can be greater than Rome ever was but they can't leave the race crap behind them.

Butch
2008-10-13 13:36:18

This question is for Ben. What did Reverend Wright say that wasn't true?

Phil
2008-10-13 16:50:46

This "teacher" has no business teaching anything! His beliefs, archaic as they may be, taint the minds of all those about him...it is time we put an end to this outrageous behavior and stop rewarding it...I wonder what would have happend to a Black teacher who called White "White Trash?" or worse! This man needs to be fired immediately, has no business being paid by tax dollars being supplied by a community of Blacks, Whites, and any other race! He chose his battlefield, let him be the casualty!

Ray
2008-10-14 14:07:02

What color was the teacher? We've all assumed he's white. What the teacher says to his friends is one thing but what he says in the classroom is another. There's no room in our public schools for this kind of speech no matter what color the person is. This and the poor attempt to educate our children is why my children attend a private school and not public. I'm not rich by any means but my wife and I decided we'd do what we had to to make sure our children get a good education.

1st & 2nd Amendment Black woman
2008-10-14 16:22:25

As long as we allow a word to enrage thus enslave us, we'll never get past the sad legacy of the past and into the promise of the future. It's just a word and we need to stop giving so much power to it. Take back your power and define who you are by what you do - not by the invective of someone who has never had you in their agenda.

Lawrence Perry
2008-10-17 01:20:10

Someone commented about Jeremiah Wright and I would like to ask you this, did he ever use the word cracker? No he didn't! History speaks for itself and it always will. Blacks were beaten, lynched, and murdered for being black and proud of who they were. I'm reading the comments and it appears to me that some of you are certainly bigots. So many whites want to forget history and move 4ward! How can we with things like this still going on? Yes there are major issues within the black community that blacks need to do with it, but the fact still remains we live in a white man's racist world and that will never change. Oh also many whites need to do their research on the Black Panther Party, because they didn't hang white people on tree branches. White Racist Bigots just make me a stronger person!

PeeWee
2008-10-20 13:25:27

You now this is crazy, This teacher needs to be fired and he does not need to educate another young mind, due to the fact children are impressionable at this young age. Let's just say a white child in this classroom was listening in class and was taking in what the teacher said, and when class was over he turned around and said this to one of his little african american buddies, and got punched in the mouth, like what happened at in Louisiana with the Jena 6. This is the type of racist crap that should not be taught to children. You are looking for a fight, the Administrators at this school should have fired this guy on site. He should be banned from teaching in the public sector. Since he is taking black folk money he needs to treat black kids with respect and dignity. All I can say is he had better be glad I was not one of the students, cause I would have took a picture on the phone and of the message and he would have been through in this town.

Joe Redd
2008-10-23 14:29:24

This Florida middle school teacher needs to be made an example of for not knowing the idiom of that etymology, if not for anything else. He really missed a teaching opportunity. The etymology of the word �Niger� comes from medieval times. There were the Kings; Nobles; Bishops; Farmers; and, Peasants. The Farmers managed the land. The Peasants dug the trenches to plant the seed. (The word for "Plower�, in certain overseas languages, is enunciated, "Nigger") . Arnold Swartzinager (for example), means "Dark Plower" ..."Swartz" means "Dark"; Nager means "Plower". The term "Nigger" has, therefore, been associated with slavery down through time; but, its origin has nearly been forgotten. Niggers, therefore, come/came in many different ethnicities and genders; and is often a term/phrase that is among the most miss-understood and miss-used. In today�s time, the term �Nigger� is used to site a person of lower class, or caliber.

darlene
2008-10-28 15:21:53

I cant beleive he really said that to a middle schooler. this is crazy,student have every right to beleive what they think change stand for...all this racail issue that deal wit the presidents should stop...its not helping the champaige.

Barbara Small-Delifus
2008-11-03 16:22:55

It is apalling to know our tax dollars are being used to pay the salary of a teacher,who dares to fill the minds of our youth by using the word 'nigger ", in the classroom. Suspending the teacher dosen't begin tdiscipline him. Why wasn't he terminated? Parents of these childern should stage a sit-in at the school board,demanding he be terminated from ever teaching in any school in the U.S. How dare he refer to any person of color as a nigger. He should refer himself to the dictionary for the meaning of the word. If he truly wants to see a nigger, he should look in the mirror and he will see a real nigger.

Philadelphia SEO
2010-02-05 05:30:12

There is obviously a lot to know about this, I think you made some good points in Features also.

italian4life
2010-05-24 06:14:56

I am a middle school teacher in california and think this is the funniest thing ive ever seen. Luckily at my school we dont have any n!ggers so we say n!gger all the time. Its so funny when some little girl will say in class "why did we elect a n!gger for president".

johnny fartsalot
2010-05-24 09:13:03

if a black teacher said a racial slur nothing would happen. equality in america... hah yah right. also AZ's immigration law is awesome

Eddie B.
2010-07-16 11:12:50

I referred myself to an anger management clinic because I went into a rage in front of a black driver hauling solid waste in my company. I knew full well that the company has 0 tolerance for racism but I had a "death wish" and was saying anything that came to mind. The driver spit on me after my actions which looking back in hind site, I deserved it. I have many black friends who I deeply apologized to after this incident. The "N" word like "Polock" (I'm Polish - not a Polock!) or Wop (My wife is Italian - not a WOP) denotes hatred and slurs any race. This was the first time and I am 58 y.o. I ever said this to another Black person and it makes me sick to my stomache that I lowered myself to an animal's level. I have a Black friend who is gay and I'm very careful to respect his lifestyle when in his presence or anyone else. We must be sensitive to other people's races. Every race is unique and has a powerful history behind it. No one is any better than the other.

Anne
2010-07-16 11:38:07

Eddie, I'm glad that you drew the right lessons from your episode. We live in a country that is increasingly diverse, and for that reason, we all need to respect each other's ethnicities. All of us have rich histories, and living and working among different people can be enriching as well as empowering. As for that teacher, he can't use anger as an excuse (not that I'm seeing you do it). He calmly and deliberately chose to use that word, in the presence of middle-school kids, and he is being held accountable for his action. Unfortunately, since Obama's election, a lot of virulent racism has come out and it is sickening. I'm quite sure other countries are looking at the antics of the Tea Partiers and shaking their heads in collective disbelief. If they or their ilk are ever allowed to get in power, there will be hell to pay.

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