Culturally insensitive, degrading” video shown by high school teacher stirs uproar
12/4/2015 4:00:00 PM - Public Relations

Natalie Shattuck, Editor 

A Mount Pleasant High School Spanish teacher caused an uproar after showing his students a video and images depicting culturally sensitive Native American historical issues.  

             The images and the video, rated MA for mature audiences, were shown to his classroom on Wednesday, Oct. 14.  

The Tribal Observer is not releasing the teacher’s name due to employment issue privacy.

When the video was shown, the teacher was newly employed in the Mount Pleasant school district, and on the second month of ever teaching at MPHS. Tuesday, Sept. 8 was the first day of school.

            The teacher’s lesson began with the video “Rethink Columbus Day”, and ended with a parody video depicting Dora the Explorer as “Conquistadora”. The video, on YouTube, presents topics involving racism, murder, genocide, biological warfare, rape and colonization through crude satire.

The video highlights content including sharing infected blankets, exploitation of village virgins, the burning of village huts and slavery of aboriginal people.

             The teacher then went on to share images of “indigenous children being cut in half by the swords of invaders and being fed to dogs.”

            Images were also shown of “mothers taking their own lives after taking their children’s lives to avoid the atrocities that would occur to them at the hands of their invaders.”

            Students in the classroom, both Native and non-Native, reported the teacher’s actions to youth achievement advisors and MPHS Principal Denny Starnes.

            From there, Michael Pung, superintendent of Mt. Pleasant Public Schools, and SCIT representatives were notified.

            On Oct. 21, Tribal Chief Steven Pego sent a letter to Tribal Member parents of Mount Pleasant Public School students.

            His letter stated, “The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe does not take this or any cultural issue lightly, and therefore, feels strongly about advocating our youth and culture. Your Tribal leadership is making every effort to encourage the Mount Pleasant District to address this issue head on and ensure our youth and culture are never subjugated to this kind of intolerable behavioral again.”

            Praising the students who reported the teacher, Chief Pego referenced the Seven Grandfather Teachings in his letter: “Bravery is the ability to have courage and recognize our moral and mental strength and do what is appropriate.”

            “It is with great pride we commend our students for their bravery in speaking up against such an inexcusable act,” Pego said. “We support and encourage our future generations to continue to discover the strength in their voices. More importantly, we empower our youth to use and exercise their voices without fear of retaliation by supporting them fully.”

            Once Chief’s letter surfaced, the Tribal Education Advisory Board Members sent a letter to Pung, and the Confederation of Michigan Tribal Education Directors submitted a letter to Starnes to express their indignation of the teacher’s actions.

            In an apology letter to Tribal Council, the teacher stated “the intent of the lesson plan was to stimulate thought about Columbus Day.”

Immediately following investigation, the Mt. Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education suspended the teacher, obeying progressive policies.

The Board gave a written warning to the teacher, who was still under probation at the time, and the teacher was back at MPHS teaching.

Frank Cloutier, SCIT public relations director, said he understood why the Board made the decisions they did, but felt strongly that the wrongdoings of the teacher went beyond the protections of policy.  

 “The teacher’s actions have endangered our children and their ability to enjoy an equitable reality within the walls of Mt. Pleasant High School,” Cloutier said. “I believe his poor judgment has had irreversible negative effects on the children that he comes in contact with on a daily basis.” 

After it was reported the teacher returned to work and was not terminated, Cloutier requested to speak at the Board’s Nov. 2 meeting in the Kinney Elementary conference room.

In defense of the insulted students, Cloutier hoped the Board would further the teacher’s discipline and fire him permanently.

After attending the Monday night Board meeting for an hour and half, SCIT representatives and the Tribal Observer were then asked to exit the room by School Board President Timothy Odykirk, as the teacher wished for a closed session to “consider material that was attorney-client privileged.”

The teacher, SCIT public relations and Tribal Education Director Melissa Montoya were permitted to remain in the room.

During the closed session, the teacher announced his resignation, according to Cloutier, who was permitted to stay in the meeting room.

The meeting was then again opened to the public, and the rest of the spectators were welcomed back into the room.

            Odykirk said the podium was open for any other individuals to quickly share their opinions in three minutes or less.

            Heather Syrette, Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa member, and mother of Maya, a student in the classroom, addressed her concerns of the teacher’s acts.  

Syrette’s daughter is on her second year at MPHS, and Syrette said how uncomfortable the “culturally insensitive, degrading” video has left her and her daughter.

            Syrette said the teacher needs to be educated and understand why and how the video and images were wrong.

            “I wanted to let the Board know, as a parent, I was on the fence about whether or not we want the teacher fired,” Syrette said. “Is this teacher going to get pushed back out in society to make the same choices? Is this teacher really learning from this situation?”

Syrette also discussed the school’s lack of diversity.                                                            

            “The (MPHS) walls are filled with all non-Native people,” she said. “Where are the people that were first here? What about having our (Anishinaabemowin) language on the wall? Why not make each hallway in the building open to diversity of all cultures in the school?”

During the public open session, Board Vice President and retired MPHS Spanish teacher Rosa Johnson was the sole Board member to apologize for the teacher’s actions.

            Johnson said she “does not condone” the other teacher’s behavior and will “do everything to not have it happen again.”  

            Following that portion of the meeting, Board Trustee Taylor Sheahan-Stahl departed the meeting, and apologized to Montoya. 

            “I feel (the teacher) did exactly as (the teacher) should have done,” Cloutier said. “And I’m proud of him for that. I am not, however, at all satisfied with the School Board using policy when the offense of these children goes well beyond that. There were no protections for these children and that’s the responsibility of the School Board.”

            The Mt. Pleasant Public Schools’ mission statement is “Mt. Pleasant Public Schools, together with our community, inspires each student through exceptional educational opportunities to become an engaged citizen in a diverse, changing world.”

Additionally, their “vision for the future” states, “Mt. Pleasant Public Schools is committed to shaping the future of our schools and the community by creating a safe environment which encourages risk taking, embraces diversity, and offers innovative programs supporting lifelong learners…”

            As the SCIT representative portion concluded in the Board meeting, Odykirk mentioned the schools and Board will continue to move forward with the Tribe.

The PR department is currently working with the Board to schedule a future cultural in-service meeting.

Cloutier reached out to the Federal Office of Civil Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union Education Division in hope to address the issue of “why the School Board chose to stand behind policy when the offense to the students was so personal.”

“It is not the Tribe’s responsibility to educate the educators,” Cloutier said. “The Tribe, historically, has provided an enormous amount of information, resource and detail on our people, culture and history. I believe the School Board should take from that and put together an action plan.”

More than 1,200 local area schools, including MPHS students did, however, attend the Nov. 5 and 6 District Powwow, hosted in the Tribal Gym and Tribal Operations, where students were educated on Native American culture, traditions and history.