A New York high school teacher faced heavy criticism after she gave out an assignment claiming George Floyd died of a heart attack and drug overdose.
The assignment, which English teacher Hope Antonelli gave to her ninth-grade students, was first alerted to Saugerties Central School District Superintendent Kirk Reinhardt and other district officials on Friday, when it was brought to their attention by a student who said they felt uncomfortable with the lesson, according to the Times Herald-Record.
In late April, a jury found former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin guilty on charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter for his role in the death of Floyd last May. The assignment appeared to question whether the case should be re-tried.
“George Floyd did not die because (Derek) Chauvin’s knee was on his neck,” a quote from the assignment said, which was uploaded on social media following the backlash.
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“He died from a heart attack and drug overdose. However, because Chauvin used excessive force and failed to render aid, he was convicted on all three counts by a jury of his peers. (Arrest was over a counterfeit $20 bill),” it continued.
The assignment also mentioned juror Brandon Mitchell, explaining that he denied being involved in Black Lives Matter or failed to be transparent about whether he protested against the officers in the case in any form.
“New evidence has surfaced that he could not have been forthcoming in his statements,” the assignment read. “Should the Derek Chauvin case be retried because of Brandon Mitchell. Why or Why Not?”
Reinhardt has not said whether Antonelli would be disciplined for the lesson plan.
“We immediately got in contact with the (student’s) family,” Reinhardt told the Times Herald-Record. “Our goal as a school community is to see that all our students feel they are seen, heard, respected, and valued.”
During April’s trial, Chauvin’s defense argued the former officer did not cause Floyd to die on account of traces of fentanyl in his body compiled with preexisting heart conditions. Ultimately, the jury decided that Chauvin exercised an unnecessary use of force when he placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
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The Washington Examiner contacted SCS but did not immediately receive a response.
