Jonathan Mendelsohn
25-year-old Morrison Robblee recently resigned from his job as a social studies teacher at Nessacus Regional Middle School in Massachusetts after a 12-year-old student reportedly harassed him for being Jewish. After Robblee told his class that he was Jewish back in February, the child allegedly made antisemitic jokes and gave Robblee a drawing of Hitler that he made. The child may be charged with a misdemeanor of criminal harassment.
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After the unnamed boy made antisemitic remarks when Robblee revealed his Jewish identity, he also uttered homophobic rhetoric. Robblee removed the boy from his class and soon had a sit-down discussion with the unruly student and an administrator.
Middle School Teacher Quits Because of Antisemitism From Student
While speaking with Insider, Robblee reveals that the sit-down proved to be futile. Robblee said, “The student didn’t actually say anything during the meeting. That probably should have cued me that this was not going to end.”
In April, Robblee wore a yarmulke to work in celebration of Passover. This was a catalyst for the student to start hurling even more antisemitic abuse toward Robblee. Days after being sent to detention for his offensive words toward Robblee, the social studies teacher claims that the sixth-grade student gave him a drawing depicting the face of Adolf Hitler, a corpse labeled “Jew,” and the words “Sorry Jew.” The boy claims the drawing was meant to be an apology to his teacher.
The boy was soon suspended from school for his behavior and moved out of Robblee’s class, but according to the teacher, the harassment did not end there. Robblee claims that the boy made comments about the Holocaust and gas chambers when he would pass him in the hallway.
Robblee made an official complaint to his union last month, explaining that he will “further be at risk of a deeper radicalization of hate, one which will lead to violence.” Robblee added, “I am not bothered by the ignorant comments of a child. I am bothered that, without proper intervention, this hate will continue to fester.”
Soon after his complaint, Robblee was placed on administrative leave after the student claimed that the teacher made a face at him in the hallway and talked to other students about him in a negative manner. Robblee denies that he ever gossiped to other students about the boy, but he admitted that he stuck his tongue out at the 12-year-old in frustration. Feeling hurt by the entire situation, Robblee decided to quit his job, saying, “I take the keys out of my pocket, slide ’em across the table, and say, ‘There’s absolutely no way I am coming back to work in your school.’”
