Teacher on leave over ‘Halloween stunt’
Student’s hair was cut during incident
A Cibola High School teacher was put on paid leave Wednesday after what’s described as a “Halloween stunt.”
Cibola parents and families received an email from the school district Friday saying a teacher allegedly made a culturally insensitive remark to one student and cut another student’s hair.
“It is alleged that these incidents occurred while the teacher was acting out what has been referred to as a Halloween stunt,” the email said.
Albuquerque Public Schools spokeswoman Monica Armenta said the sophomore English teacher — who the district would not name — was conducting her lesson plan while wearing a New Orleans voodoo-like costume.
“She was in full character and during her impersonation of this person this incident occurred,” Armenta told the Journal.
The APS Police Department investigating.
“Whatever the reason, the words and action are unacceptable,” the email to parents said. “The incidents are being investigated, and we will continue to work with the students and their families is to assure they feel safe, respected, and comfortable at school.”
Armenta said the teacher is a “highly regarded” sophomore English teacher who has been at the West Side high school her whole career since 2003.
Armenta doesn’t believe the teacher has run into other disciplinary incidents before.
“We don’t discuss personnel files, but there hasn’t been an incident involving her that I’ve had to answer questions about before,” she said.
The alleged remark and hair snipping happened Wednesday and parents were alerted Friday afternoon.
“We are always sensitive to the privacy of teachers and students,” Armenta said. “So, until we could answer the basic questions, the district held off sending (the email) until (Friday) afternoon.”
The spokeswoman said the district wouldn’t be going into details about the remarks “for sensitivity of the students.”
“The district and the principal are clear there was an incident,” Armenta said, “but the context we are trying to understand.”