'Generous gift': Florida teacher fired after showing 'penis-shaped' gum wrapper to students
HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA: Joanna Herring, a language arts teacher from Florida, has been terminated after a series of complaints were made against her, which include showing her students a penis-shaped gum wrapper. As per the district complaint, a student informed the investigators that during her class she allegedly showed them a male private part made out of chewing gum wrapper, before adding that it was a ‘generous’ gift from a freshman from the previous session.
The other allegations listed against the McArthur High school teacher includes yelling at her students, showing up late for class repeatedly, making racially insensitive remarks, missing parent-teacher conferences, and failing to post student grades in a timely manner. Herring, however, pleaded not guilty and is appealing the action to the Division of Administrative Hearings. As per her petition, where she is being represented by the Broward Teachers Union, she had denied all the allegations and will continue her fight to win her position back, which she held since 2007.
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Her last annual salary drawn was $52,069, as per the Sun Sentinel report. “No cause exists for the termination of Respondent's employment by the Broward County School Board,” the petition states. The above-mentioned allegations against the 56-year-old is recorded during the 2021-2022 school year, “Students reported that Herring showed the class a gum wrapper shaped in the form of a penis that she said had been gifted to her by a student from a previous class who left it on her desk,” the district complaint states.
Another student told the team that’s been looking into the case, about the discomfort the entire class felt, when Herring extensively talked about black people, “When the school year first started she kept speaking on black people. ‘How her family is racist and when they came down to Miami/Broward they told her there were "too many black people."' Students also brought to the attention one instance where Herring got furious at a student for interrupting a conversation with another student in the complaint, according to DailyMail. She 'put herself in a corner of the classroom with her back to the class, stating repeatedly, "Tell me when she's done, tell me when she's done."'
"Once the student stated she was done, Herring returned to the front of the classroom," as per the complaint. Furthermore, the district's complaint said, “Herring has continuously failed to use professional judgment and maintain professionalism with students, staff, and stakeholders.” According to the Sun Sentinel report, Herring had been previously suspended for three days in 2019 for an excessive absenteeism case, which included failure to attend faculty and department meetings and not adhering to emergency Code Red lockdown procedures.