Teacher Assigns Extremely Offensive Math Homework
Teacher Assigns Extremely Offensive Math Homework
Lakeland Union High School Math Assignment Has Lac Du Flambeau Members Upset Over Cultural Insensitivity
An offensive math homework assignment issued to students at Lakeland Union High School has members of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Wisconsin urging administrators to bring more cultural sensitivity to the school’s curriculum, Indian Country Today Media Network reports.
Abbey Thompson, a member of the Lac du Flambeau Tribe, posted a photo of her son Noah’s completed homework assignment to Facebook, attracting inflammatory responses from across the country and Canada.
“What happened after Chief Short Cake Died?” is the question posed at the top of the assignment — the answer to which was “Squaw Bury Short Cake.”
Richard Vesbach, a third-year math teacher at LUHS and the one responsible for assigning the homework, has since written a number of apology letters.
Vesbach explains that he found the assignment in an outdated book of worksheets from the 1980s that had been left in the classroom when he started teaching. He says he has gotten rid of the book.
“None of that excuses what has happened and I take full responsibility for my actions,” Vesbach wrote. “No one else is to blame but me. As a result, LUHS has appropriately sent me home for the day. I recommended that they not pay me.”
School administrators would not comment on whether Vesbach would face further disciplinary action.
In January, a suburban Atlanta teacher resigned following an investigation over third-grade students being assigned math homework that included word problems about slavery.
One of the problems read: "Each tree has 56 oranges. If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?"
Another was: "If Frederick got two beatings each day, how many beatings did he get in one week?"
Sorry, I laughed. First, it is true, second, it is a fun way to teach math, third...get the stick out of you ass!
I'm offended, too! In fact...everything offends me except being called a dago, wop, grease ball etc.
Quoting Lizardannie1966:
lol There's nothing offensive about it IMO. It was made out to be a silly joke. If the content of the joke itself was derogatory or insulting toward the Native American people, I could see the problem but it's not.
We need to maybe investigate the idea of over-correcting some political correctness's.
We need to maybe investigate the idea of over-correcting some political correctness's.
(needed to be said again, louder)
Quoting Lizardannie1966:lol There's nothing offensive about it IMO. It was made out to be a silly joke. If the content of the joke itself was derogatory or insulting toward the Native American people, I could see the problem but it's not.
We need to maybe investigate the idea of over-correcting some political correctness's.
I don't understand what is so offensive either. Are the words chief and squaw derogatory somehow?
Quoting specialwingz:Honestly, I think the tackiness goes beyond the Indian slur. There was no reason to stack the test with references to slaves and beatings. It's a Math class not a history class.
That did not happen in this class.
Quoting JakeandEmmasMom:It's offensive because it was once believed (and still is believed by some) that the word "squaw" was derived from and Algonquian word that meant "vagina." So, it would be like calling a woman a "c*nt." It isn't actually true, but that is why people get riled up about it.
Thank-you, I had no idea.
Quoting Autumn07:The word squaw is offensive to me. I'd be angry if my son or daughter had homework like that. I'd also be angry if this was turned around to include any other races. That is not cool in my book. Of course it's not offensive to non native people, because they will NEVER understand where we come from and how long it has taken us to get here. It is cultural insensitivity.
Could you explain why it is offensive to you?
Quoting AdellesMom:
Joke or not, I don't get it. lol
What happens when someone dies? You bury them.
Does the Polygamous Community Deserve Food Stamps?
- futureshock
on Oct. 7, 2012 at 11:09 PM