A Rhode Island middle school teacher said she’s facing harassment after openly opposing the teaching of critical race theory.
Ramona Bessinger, who teaches at Esek Hopkins Middle School, claimed that the racial ideology led to taunting from students and colleagues alike. One student called her “America” because she is white, and a staff member accused her of having “white privilege,” she said.
After speaking out about teaching policies centered on the ideology and whistleblowing on the school’s alleged encouragement to participate in “white educator affinity groups,” Bessinger was notified on Oct. 5 that she had to attend a “pre-disciplinary hearing” Wednesday — not for her views, but for violating a school safety procedure during a lockdown.
Photographs, allegedly of Bessinger’s classroom whiteboard from when she was not present, appear to show threatening messages including “F*** ya b****,” “Bye you fired,” “b****,” “Fire Ms. Bessinger,” and many other scribbled phrases suggesting she leave.
Bessinger also reportedly called the police to her school Wednesday because she felt unsafe.
She was interrogated at her Wednesday hearing for the alleged lapse in safety protocol, Legal Insurrection reported.
TERRY MCAULIFFE CALLS CRITICAL RACE THEORY A ‘DOG WHISTLE’ AND REFUSES TO DEFINE WHEN PRESSED
Critical race theory and other closely related ideologies hold that the United States is inherently racist and that skin color is used to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites. Critics claim it relegates all white people to the role of oppressors and all people of color to that of victims.
“While many children are taught to fear and hate our nation, there are many of us who quietly shut our classroom doors and teach the contrary,” Bessinger wrote Tuesday on Twitter, including a patriotic song in her tweet.
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Providence Public School District did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
