Carl Pasowicz: Teacher at Michelle Obama's school hangs Black doll from a cord, suspended
A white teacher at Michelle Obama's former high school, Young Magnet High School in Chicago, got suspended on account of a hate crime after hanging an Afro-American doll from a cord and getting into a heated argument with a black teacher who took offense.
The suspended white teacher, identified as Carl Pasowicz, who is a world history teacher, apparently found the doll unattended at school on Monday, March 28. Pasowicz hung the doll from the cord of a pull-down projector screen at the front of the classroom, in front of the students, according to a statement from Principal Joyce Kenner. A black colleague saw the hanging doll, which was dressed in a blue football uniform, recognized it as a reference to a lynching, and confronted Pasowicz, which resulted in a heated argument between the two teachers.
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The Chicago Sun-Times, which had viewed the video of the incident, reported that argument between Pasowicz and the black teacher, who has not been identified yet. The black teacher said, "Stupid." "You're f------ stupid", Pasowicz replied. "You're even more stupid." To which, the other teacher replied, "Shut up, shut up!" and says to the students, "He's wrong." To which the other teacher says "You're wrong. I'm not going to stand up here with you making me feel uncomfortable."
The issue began to snowball on Tuesday, March 29, after the argument, when the black teacher was not in some of his classes. After which, school administrators discussed the incident with staff and students. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, students posted on social media to free the teacher and start a riot.
An online petition was set up on Change.org, which identified Pasowicz as the offending teacher, and called for him to be removed because he had for years spread bigotry and misinformation throughout Whitney Young High School. He has been a perpetrator of hate crimes and microaggressions against students and teachers alike. The petition also includes allegations against Pasowicz for using slurs against trans people, making a mockery of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and asking an Asian person to translate a video of a baby speaking Chinese during his years as a teacher in the school.
After the petition came out, principal Kenner said in an email that administrators and the Chicago Public Schools office would not only investigate and respond, but also elevate student voices in the process. “It has been my goal to create a community of respect and professionalism over the past 27 years as principal,” Kenner wrote in her email. “We strive each day to make sure that every student, faculty, and staff member feels comfortable, supported, and safe,” according to the Sun-Times.
On Wednesday evening, March 30, after students gathered in the school auditorium to discuss the incident, Carl Pasowicz was suspended on account of a hate crime. The Chicago Teachers Union, which represents the two teachers, also commented on the incident and said that "The district must provide a safe space for every member of our school communities, which is especially important in a district that serves a student population that is 90% Black and Brown children."