Teacher Allegedly Fired For Using The Word 'Negro' In Her Spanish Class, Sues

[The Straight Story]

A New York City teacher was allegedly fired for using the word "negro" to describe a student in her Spanish class, which she claims was part of a lesson in translation. Now she is suing because she hasn't been able to find another job since she was sacked.

Petrona Smith, 65, non-tenured, junior high school teacher, was let go from P.S. 211 in the Bronx in March 2012, according to the New York Post. She was allegedly fired after a pupil reported her for calling a student "negro" during a Spanish class.

However, the Post reported that Smith, a black woman from the West Indies, said she only used the word in reference to the color black. She then reportedly explained to her students that it is not a derogatory term and that the Spanish word for a black person is “moreno.”

“They haven’t even accounted for how absurd it is for someone who’s black to be using a racial slur to a student,” Shaun Reid, Smith’s attorney, told the Post. “Talk about context! There’s a lot of things wrong here.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/24/fired-for-word-negro-spanish_n_3332861.html

[XemaSab]

1. "Negro" is a slur?

Someone better tell the United Negro College Fund.

[BlueStreak]

4. Especially considering it is the word for "black" in Spanish

and doesn't have any connotation to race or culture. It is just the color.

If this were Phys-ed or Algebra, maybe there could be a point of speaking to the teacher privately to say, "It is better to use the term 'black' or 'African-American'." But in Spanish class, you are allowed to use the correct Spanish words, I would think.

[Cirque du So-What]

11. Why are the levels of melanin in people's skin being discussed in a language class anyway?

Truth be told, Spanish as used in various nations has a variety of idioms related to the color of people's skin, specifically those of African descent - some of which may be used in a derogatory manner. IMO it's not a worthwhile topic for a language class. It's as worthless as learning curse words and other insulting words related to intelligence, profession or weight.

[oldhippie]

14. An article I read said the lesson was about colors in general .....

... like red, yellow, green, blue and black. A student heard negro (black) and complained.

I saw the article somewhere on the 'net yesterday. I don't have a link.

[Cirque du So-What]

15. That's the problem

with trusting HuffPo nowadays. The article in the OP clearly says that the teacher was referring to an African American student - not the color black. If she was indeed merely referring to the color black, then a injustice has been done.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. Is 'colored' alright?

as in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People? At the time these two organizations were formed, those words were the cultural norm; the norm has changed since then, but the organizational titles were maintained for purposes of continuity and historical connection. If you feel 'victimized' by being unable to freely toss around the term 'negro' nowadays, I truly feel sorry for you.

[XemaSab]

7. My point is

that there's a difference between a dated term and a racial slur. If it was a racial slur, the UNCF probably wouldn't have it in their name.

[Cirque du So-What]

8. The UNCF now prefers that people just use the acronym instead

Here's the main page of their website:

http://umsi.uncf.org/sif

Once there, searching on the term 'negro' produces zero results. Please proceed.

[socialist_n_TN]

9. Sorry. On this one I've got to side with the teacher......

It's Spanish for God's sake. It means the color "black". As others have pointed out.

The only blame that could be placed is if she was using it as something other than a color. And even then it's iffy.

[Cirque du So-What]

13. I disagree on the basis that the teacher doesn't need to be discussing people's color

in a language class. IMO it's as bad as teaching the kids about the difference between puto and puta. I'm against the whole concept of classifying people by their color - even 'white' people. How does referring to people as 'reds' and 'yellows' and 'browns' strike the ear?

[dipsydoodle]

2. Context and language used are everything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negro

[chervilant]

3. Isn't 'negro' the

Spanish word for black?

[Atman]

5. It's on my bottle of drawing ink.

And Modelo Negro is a good Mexican dark beer. Outrage!

[Smarmie Doofus]

10. Welcome to the NYC public school system.

Lots of luck sorting this one out.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Face palm on steroids

Negro is black in Spanish. It applies to shoe color ( she should have avoided the problem)

That said, in Mexico Moreno is not a derogatory term euther, not is negro

Oy vey shmer

[bunnies]

16. I have a can of beans in my cupboard that looks like this:

Who do I sue?

[HappyMe]

17. I was just going to post

the same thing.

[madrchsod]

18. she`s 65 yrs old and expendable

this is really about a way to fire her before they have to pay her for the rest of the year. smart thing for her to do is become a home school teacher.