Several hundred parents and students held a rally in front of Paul Revere Middle School on Monday, March 23 in support of a teacher who was removed from the classroom a few days earlier for allegedly making racist remarks.
A lawsuit filed against LAUSD alleges that Paul Revere history teacher Steven Carnine made racially charged remarks in class, including using the “N-word’’ and saying the young man shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, “got what he deserved.’’
Many staff, parents and students who attended the rally said Carnine is innocent of the charges.
Photo: Doug Suisman
“People were in shock by his removal on Friday and were upset all weekend,” said rally organizer and Paul Revere parent Doug Suisman. “Mr. Carnine now has 150 students who are suddenly deprived of one of the school’s greatest teachers.”
Patti Blake, whose son Zack was in the classroom back in January when the alleged remarks were made, said, “These allegations are completely false and all of the students in the class would attest to that.”
Carnine was removed from the classroom on Friday, March 20, one day after news reports of the lawsuit surfaced.
“The day they sued, they leaked it to the press,” Suisman said of the student’s family.
Court papers show the complaint was filed by a parent identified only as Shawn B. for the benefit of his daughter, Maggie B.
Paul Revere administrators reportedly investigated the claims, interviewing other students who were present when the alleged racist remarks were made, and found them unsubstantiated.
At the time of the alleged remarks, Carnine was teaching his U.S. History class about racism in the pre-Civil War South using historical and modern examples of racism according to Paul Revere staff, students and parents.
“There have been nearly 700 signatures in less than 72 hours,” Suisman said of a petition supporting Carnine. “And nearly 300 passionate testimonials about Mr. Carnine as a person and a teacher, and the least likely person anywhere to make comments with racist intent.”
An administration-led parent meeting on the issue took place Tuesday, March 24. –City News Service contributed to this report.
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