Teacher suspended for remark "nappy"

tampabay.com ^ | 07/31/07 | THOMAS C. TOBIN

[TornadoAlley3]

The Pinellas School Board on Tuesday approved a one-day suspension for a white teacher who referred to the hair of an African American girl as "nappy."

The board voted 5-2 in favor of the suspension and diversity training for Belcher Elementary teacher Porsha Call.

Board members Linda Lerner and Janet Clark voted against the unpaid suspension, saying they did not consider the word racially offensive. "I don't use the term nappy. I've used the word frizzy for my own hair at times," said Lerner, who agreed with a related recommendation that Call receive diversity training. "I did not realize it was an offensive word."

Board member Janet Clark agreed, saying she found a Web site called “A Nappy Hair Affair,” which seemed to celebrate the word.

"I don't know that the word is racially offensive," Clark said. "I'm not black, so I can't speak from personal experience. But it is an adjective, correct? It describes your hair."

Mary Brown, the board's only black member, said the term has been used in a negative way to describe black people.

Board member Nancy Bostock noted that the teacher signed a document agreeing to the suspension. She said the one-day suspension reflected that the remark was not as offensive as some others. The typical punishment for a racially offensive remark is three to five days, she noted.

Officials said the remark violated a district policy prohibiting employees from making "inappropriate or disparaging remarks to or about students or exposing a student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement."

According to an account by the district's Office of Professional Standards, a student asked Call why another teacher was combing the hair of an African American girl. Call responded, "She is trying to do something to her nappy hair." Another teacher reported the remark to an administrator.

Call, a veteran teacher with a good employment record, told investigators she did not know the term was offensive.

The term "nappy" became the topic of a national debate in April when radio personality Don Imus used it as part of a larger statement criticizing the Rutgers University women's basketball team. Imus was fired for making a racial slur.

[Hilltop]

This may get me banned, but, piss on a bunch of diversity training.

This is 2007, no more coddling of any “ethnic” group.

[RepublitarianRoger]

Yes, this is another one of those words that can be used by blacks amongst themselves, but is offensive when other races use it.

A quick Google comes up with these:
http://www.happy-to-be-nappy.com
http://www.nappturality.com/
http://www.nappyhairaffair.com/index.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Nappy-Dragonfly-Books-Carolivia-Herron/dp/0679894454

But only blacks can call their hair “nappy” and get away with it. Otherwise it’s offensive and grounds for a lawsuit or suspension. Logic has no place here.

Here is why “nappy” is offensive — according to a black victicrat (to use Larry Elder’s term) who, in typical fashion, needs to go back to the days of slavery and “300 years of painful racial history” in order to “explain” why the word is offensive in the 21st century:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/04/12/why_nappy_is_offensive/

Granted, Don Imus shouldn’t have called the basketball team’s players “nappy-headed ho’s.” Very bad decision on his part, and I’m not defending him. But I also find it a little funny that the author of this article (and tons of other talking heads and bloggers) got all up in arms about his saying “nappy,” but not much mention of “ho.”

[popdonnelly]

“I think this is one of those words that only African Americans are allowed to use.”

Total absurdity. Why should someone have their employment threatened when someone can’t even determine if the term is offensive in the first place? You can lose your job for saying anything.

[rabidralph]

Looking back on when I was a little nappy-headed boy."

Stevie Wonder needs diversity training!

[HitmanLV]

Our culture is so delicate.

Ripe for conquest, really.

[Steamburg]

Nappy appears to describe the board’s treatment of the teacher.

[Western Wa Independent Voter]

OH, NO!!!!

Anything but nappy.

Get the REVERENDS Jesse and Al to shakedown somebody, QUICK!!!

[nathanbedford]

It is noteworthy that are beleaguered teacher pled not justification in her defense, but ignorance. It is noteworthy because it reveals how far into the swamps of subjectivism that political correctness has led us. This is a major concession. It says that it matters not what the plain meaning of the English language is but what matters is only the subjective reaction of a favored class. The teacher did not say, "I stand here upon my rights and be damned" she said in effect, "I have no rights, I am too unworthy to have rights, I can only plead ignorance."

I recall vaguely the city official of Washington, DC who is a totally forced out of a position of responsibility because the African-American "community" was ignorant of the plain meaning of the English-language word, "niggardly." Now we see the same kangaroo court applied the word, "nappy."

Subjectivism is a deadly disease made more virolent by political correctness when it invests in favored groups the power arbitrarily to exercise mind control over groups (like whites) who are unfavored because they do not qualify as victims. Maybe we need a little bit of the fairness doctrine in real life.

[mathurine]

A day’s suspension beats diversity training hands-down.

[Hilltop]

As a footnote:The other teacher was,according this this article, in a classroom setting, combing the hair of another student?

I’m sure, it was the fair-skinned homeroom teacher that had spare time to devote to the finer art of hair combing.

That’s a detail I’d like to know, why it was not part of this specious article, and what are the repercussions of a teacher doing this in a classroom setting.

[taxesareforever]

nappy nappy nappy. Sue me.

[SteamShovel]

If a person is not offended, don’t worry, there’s always someone out there that will be offended FOR YOU.

That would be the Libs... The same people in Congress that passed a resolution requesting the Japanese to apologize for to Koreans, Chinese, and Philiipine-ese(however you say it) for using some of their women in WWII as "Comfort Women". I didn't know it was their place to ask for an apology for another country.

[bannie]

[peeps36]

These people are ridiculous. Only a bunch of liberal white stiffs would make a big deal out of this.

[TWohlford]

“I recall vaguely the city official of Washington, DC who is a totally forced out of a position of responsibility because the African-American “community” was ignorant of the plain meaning of the English-language word, ‘niggardly.’”

That was my first thought. Sometimes I wonder if I know more about Black Studies than many black people.

I once made a reference to the “noble savage” mythologies in race relations. Sadly, a Metis lady heard me say that, and ignorant of the history of the “Noble Savage” discussion, ripped me a new one. No amount of references or impromptu education made her stop the rants.

ohhh... HELLO BILL O’REILLY STAFF!!! GLAD YOU’RE READING MY STUFF!!!!

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Seems to me the other board members were being niggardly in the application of common sense.

[Texas_Jarhead]

But doesn’t the very use of the word “nappy” demonstrate diversity and inclusion? Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. That’s the beauty of PC.

[Clam Digger]

This is totally retarded.

[ChessExpert]

It’s almost nappy time for me. (I hope O’Reilly doesn’t see this.)

[Clam Digger]

"Looking back on when I was a little nappy-headed boy." Stevie Wonder needs diversity training!

Nah, he's black, only whites get punishment like that.