By now, practically everyone on earth has seen or heard of George Floyd, the Derek Chauvin trial and circumstances surrounding Floyd’s death.
One teacher, however, in a classroom of students aged 14-15 years old in Cedar Hill High School which is in Dallas, Texas, took things too far, by instructing his or her students to watch George Floyd die and to also watch the Derek Chauvin trial as part of a school assignment.
The teacher’s assignment purportedly instructed students to be mock jurors for the purpose of judging the evidence, then rendering their verdict after watching the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, Newsweek reported.
Derek Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
A freshman teacher, who has not been named, did not seek parental consent for the assignment and reportedly told students not to discuss what they had witnessed during the trial for at least six weeks, Newsweek reported.
Parents were not happy about the assignment because prior parental consent was not given.
Parents of affected children wrote a letter to the teacher who created the unapproved class assignment. WFAA reported Friday.
“It is unfathomable to me that you felt it appropriate to force my child to watch George Floyd’s murder on television in your classroom and then move on with his day as if nothing had happened,” the letter from the Cedar Hill parents read, according to Newsweek.
Parents complained that the assignment was not appropriate for students due to the traumatizing nature of the video showing Chauvin pinning Floyd to the ground.
“This murder seen by millions around the globe was triggering and traumatizing for adults,” the letter from the parents reportedly said. “Yet, you left students to handle their own emotions and mental health as they left your class, without proper and professional support,” WFAA reported.
Cedar Hill High School principal Jason Miller responded to the parent letter by stating that “viewing and discussing” the case was not age-appropriate for students, according to WFAA.
The school district sided with principal Miller on the issue by stating, “The matter has been addressed with the teacher, and the assignment was removed,” WFAA reported.
Source: Newmax
