Fontana teacher used racial slur in class

District responds to the ‘unfortunate exchange,’ which was caught on video.

A teacher at a Fontana middle school can be heard repeatedly using a racial slur during an exchange with a student during class that was captured on video.

The video that was posted last week on Facebook by a parent of a child who was in the classroom shows a teacher from Sequoia Middle School standing over a student’s desk and repeating the Nword while trying to get the student to say the word.

“Say it,” the teacher tells the student, who looks toward the f loor. Classmates can be heard giggling in the background.

“Why?” the teacher says. “You asked me how to spell it, so go ahead and pronounce it: n—. Pronounce it after me: n—. n—.”

Students told KABC-TV Channel 7 that the class was reading and discussing a Mark Twain novel that contains the slur when the student asked the teacher how to spell it.

It’s unclear when the incident occurred, but the video has been widely shared on social media, prompting officials with the Fontana Unified School District to issue a statement Thursday.

Supt. Miki R. Inbody described the incident as an “unfortunate exchange.”

“While the use of the word was in connection to its use in a historical literary work, there was a lack of understanding regarding the emotional impact of using this word could have on our students,” Inbody said in the message, which was posted on the school district’s website. “We understand that such incidents can be hurtful and upsetting, especially for students who come from diverse backgrounds.”

Inbody said the district is looking to take steps to prevent similar incidents. She didn’t identify the teacher or say whether the teacher had been disciplined.

Officials at the school district and Sequoia Middle School did not respond to requests for comment.

In her message to parents, Inbody said officials would be providing training to district administrators, teachers and other employees “to understand the importance of creating an inclusive and respectful learning environment.”

She said the school district would be working with the city of Fontana to create an event to “come together in support of a more cohesive and compassionate community.”