Silke Jasso
A group of suburban Madison Wisconsin Middle School teachers are currently on administrative leave after giving students an assignment that asked them how they would “punish a slave.” The assignment was given to sixth-grade students at Patrick Marsh Middle School for a lesson about laws that were established by King Hammurabi, an ancient Mesopotamia. Principal Rebecca Zahn issued a joint statement with the assistant principal heavily apologizing for the assignment not being ‘racially conscious.’
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The statement read, “Our intent missed the mark, and for that we are deeply sorry,” the statement said. “Going forward we will be sure to think critically about whether our intent matches our impact.” Sun Prairie Area School District Is now investigating Does Simon and has officially placed the teachers that were involved on leave, which is a standard procedure for such a pro. The statement noted that the district is also reviewing its social studies district’s curriculum “ with the length of racial trauma and curriculum violence.”
Middle School Teachers Suspended For Asking Students How They Would ‘Punish’ Slaves
Administrators at a Wisconsin middle school said they have suspended teachers who were involved in an activity for sixth graders that included a question about how the students would punish slaves. https://t.co/meuJztsdYQ
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) February 4, 2021
The district statement continued, “We deeply regret that this lesson took place, and we also recognize that this was a breakdown in our curricular processes and our district-wide focus on equity. In addition to immediately addressing this situation, it is important that we commit to changing our curriculum and professional development for all staff.” The incident first came to light after Dazarrea Ervins’ son Zayvion showed her the assignment. The mother said she was shocked at what she saw, noting that the incident had occurred on the first day of Black History Month. Erwins said, “I can see how they’re learning about this era, but the wording of the question and the statement—it was just wrong.”
Ancient Mesopotamia is often referred to as the birth of civilization, as the societies sparked a number of cultural norms seen today such as organizations of agriculture in cities. Mesopotamia spread across what is now known as the Middle East, between Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Hammurabi’s code, which was the set of laws that were being taught to the Patrick Marsh sixth-graders, included a number of laws on punishment, including the concept of an ‘eye for an eye.’ Punishments for slaves were also included, such as a law that permitted any slave owner to cut off a slave’s ear if they ever disrespected their owner.
Sun Prairie Area School District Teachers Put on Administrative Leave
The lesson plan was apparently obtained from Teachers Pay Teachers, which is an online marketplace for educational resources. The organization stated that it has a strict policy on inappropriate content and called the lesson unacceptable and antithetical to its values. In a statement sent to NBC News, it stated, “Racist or offensive material is strictly prohibited on TpT. As soon as we were made aware of this resource, we immediately removed it from the site.”
This isn’t the only school that has been under fire for issues with racism. Several schools also faced backlash over similar assignments on slavery, including a Missouri elementary school after a teacher asked students to set a price on slaves. Another teacher in Long Island New York as students to write something funny about the pictures of slavery back in 2019. Last year, the Tennessee school district dismissed a student-teacher for asking fourth-grade students to recite graphic and violent methods to control slaves during a Black History Month assignment.
