Sanford Graves: Tennessee teacher suspended after video of him using N-word in class sparks outrage
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE: Sanford Graves, a White teacher at South Doyle High School in Tennessee, was suspended with pay from school for repeatedly using the N-word in class. Graves, a high school science teacher, came under fire because many students felt offended by the remark. The suspension came shortly after the video of him calling out the N-word went viral.
In the clips that went viral, Graves argues in class with a student who appears to be black and says it's OK to use the word because "it's in the English language." The video infuriated the parents who have been rallying to get him fired.
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Who is Sanford Graves?
Graves is the high school science teacher in South Doyle High School in Tennessee. In the videos that went viral, the teacher and students seem to be talking about whether it's even okay to use the N-word, who gets to use it, and in what context. The teacher can be heard saying the slur several times, even when the students point out to him that he should not use the word. In one of the videos, an apparently Black student can be seen trying to point out to the teacher that he should not use the word. The student who appears to be Black asks, "Mr Graves, why aren't you calling out any of these other n***as?"
What did Sanford Graves say in the video?
Graves can be heard saying, "I don't care. You can say a word in the English language. It's derogatory. I think it's terrible." After he said this, one student exclaims, "You can't say that s**t, what the hell." Another added, "Don't say that." "Stop saying it," another cries out. Meanwhile, a clip compiling of him repeatedly using the N-word was posted on TikTok which became viral, after which he was immediately suspended. Malayia Pelcher, who was in the class told the media, "The whole thing made me feel like our teacher doesn’t care about us. Why would you say that to us as a class when we didn't do anything to you?" Jennifer Lawson, one of the parents of the students posted the video on Facebook. She wrote, "PLEASE watch! I CANNOT believe what happened at Bella’s school. She took these clips! Teacher BETTER get fired!! INSANE!"
Internet reacts to the video
The Internet quickly reacted to the incident. A user wrote on Facebook, "Lack of pride is how we move forward. Thank you to Knox County Schools & South Doyle High School’s administration for it’s rapid response to the matter. Mr Sanford Graves was suspended & removed from the school today shortly after. His employment status is pending. I do hope that a reasonable punishment is given in order to set a standard for our educators & our youth. I also hope that we take this situation & help our youth understand not only the POWER but also the vulnerability with words that they use. Also thanks to John A Butler our District 1 School Board Rep!" To which a user responded, "Yeah.. definitely a problem.. he could definitely use "n-word"... he was pushing it .. tryna play the line of "just repeating it".. he's grown enough.."
