Westchester High School Teacher Forces Students to Use Slurs in Class Assignment
January 29, 2019 46 Comments
By Benjamin M. Adams on January 29, 2019 @BenAdamsO_O
OSSINING, NY — A teacher at Ossining High School assigned a classroom project that required her freshman students to use slurs to describe marginalized groups. In what appears to be an “inclusivity project” gone badly wrong, parents of students in the class say that the teacher — Kristin Breyter — decided that she would teach her students about bigotry by forcing them to use and display slurs. News of the assignment left parents stunned and dismayed.
Ms. Breyter told the students — some working alone and some in groups — to pick “any” marginalized group and then instructed them to list the slurs commonly used against that group. In one instance, an African-American student attempted to modify the n-word but was told by the teacher that he needed to write the word out, letter by letter. An LGBT student was said to be in tears after being forced to make a list of LGBT slurs. Students resorted to using Google to search for slurs about particular groups which included blacks, hispanics, and gays.
I spoke with one parent with a daughter in the class who preferred to remain anonymous. She said that she was “incredulous” when hearing her child recount the exercise, which took place on January 25, 2019 in Ms. Breyter’s ninth grade ASL class. “I felt heartsick,” said the parent, “knowing that my daughter was hit with all these awful words that I had hoped she would never have to hear. I felt the worst for the African-American student and the lesbian girl and any other kid who felt personally singled out.”
A second parent, who also wished to remain anonymous, said that she and her husband “were dumfounded” when they learned about the assignment. She said they planned to take a wait-and-see approach and to measure the school’s response to the event. She and her husband wanted to know if this was “a rogue event rather than something systemic that warrants more scrutiny.”
The assignment itself appears to draw on one of the works of Ann Silver, a deaf artist and activist. That work, A Century of Difference, displays the evolution of terminology about the deaf. A slide featuring that work can be found online.
The students were instructed to create placards displaying the name of the marginalized group and its associated slurs, which were to be decorated artistically. Apparently, Ms. Breyter’s plan was to display the placards containing the slurs on the walls of the classroom. One of the parents noted that Ms. Breyter shares this classroom with another teacher.
Ms. Breyter did not respond to an email requesting comment. The principal of Ossining High School, Stephen Hancock, also failed to respond to an email. However, an attorney from the school did reach out on the morning following my inquiry. Emily Lucas of the Ingerman Smith law firm contacted this reporter, apparently prompted by fear that I was acting in my capacity as an attorney. I assured her that I was merely reporting the story. Ms. Lucas indicated that I would be contacted by a spokesperson for Ossining High School. That representation turned out to be false. Over 24 hours later, I had still not been contacted nor had the school issued any statement on the matter.
A parent confirmed that a substitute teacher instructed Ms. Breyter’s ALS class on Monday. This remains a developing story.
UPDATE (1/29/19): For the second day following my request for comment, a substitute teacher again instructed the class. The school is still declining to comment.
UPDATE (1/30/19): Still no comment from the school, but we have now obtained a copy of a letter sent by Principal Stephen Hancock to the parents of Ms. Breyter’s freshman ASL class:
Principal Hancock begins his explanation by telling the parents that “an Assistant Principal was informed over the weekend” about Mr. Breyter’s assignment. However, it should be noted that Mr. Hancock himself was notified of the project by this reporter on Sunday evening. It is not clear why Mr. Hancock chose to omit this information from his letter to the parents. Moreover, the letter does not disavow the project, admitting only that the “execution could have been more effective.”
Update (1/30/19): I’ve closed the comments on this post because of too much inflammatory rhetoric. This is an important story that should be handled in a transparent manner by the school. Anonymous fighting in the comments section is not conducive to a positive resolution to this situation.
Copyright 2019 Benjamin M. Adams. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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This was my ASL class and this story is not completely true. I’m pissed beyond words my teacher did not force any students to write out anything that they didn’t want to. I was in this class when we did this project and I can tell you this did not happen. This classroom is full of Freshmen who obviously sensitive and just getting to know the ” High School Lifestyle “. Not only did I see this with my own eyes, I know my teacher on a personal level and I know that she wouldn’t do something like this.
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Chynna, can you email me your contact info? I would like to verify you and include your account. email: ben at adamslawgroup dot com.
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I was in the class too, I saw it with my own eyes too. Just because you weren’t effected, doesn’t mean other people weren’t. It doesn’t have to do with “being sensitive”
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You are not alone. Several students were hurt by this. I’ve spoken to parents who are very upset. Sometimes the loudest people don’t speak for the majority.
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I’m in this ASL class and this is not how it went down. No one was “forced” to do anything, that’s complete garbage. Whoever is telling you this is full of it. The letter from the principal is a joke. Some kid decides she’s “uncomfortable” and the school freaks out. HS is supposed to prepare us for the real world. This whole this has become a huge disappointment no wonder good teachers never stick around.
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I would like to verify you and report your version of events. Email me your contact info to ben at adamslawgroup dot com.
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The only thing accurate about this, is the name of this blog. How dare you put her name out, and expose this teacher. She most likely had to deal with other consequences.
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Why dont you put your name to this and sit down for an interview? You want people to believe an anonymous commenter? email me: ben at adamslawgroup dot com.
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I respect your opinion but then again who would believe a random blogger. You haven’t been there for her class so next time this information would be more reliable
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Before I publish the story I reached out to the principal and the teacher to see if anything was wrong that needed to be corrected. I am handling the reporting responsibly and the story is accurate. I definitely want to hear from people in her class directly. The more the better.
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This is really hypocritical. Who’s gonna believe an anonymous students and parents? Huh?
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I have a reporter from a local news station wanting to do interviews with students and parents. Why wouldn’t people believe you?
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Omg, my guy, literally everyone but the teacher in this is anonymous. Smh.
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What’s not fair is every parents and student in this article had the option to remain anonymous. Ms. Breyter did not have that option.
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Anonymous sourcing is an important part of journalism. If you want to be heard I will quote you and not use your name as long as you can prove that you were in the class.
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Why doesn’t she have an optiong to remain anonymous but the students and parents do?
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She’s a teacher at a public school who assigned a racist school project. Why does she need to stay anonymous? If she wants to be heard let her sit down and give her side. I even contacted her before the story was published to see if there was a mistake that she wanted to correct. She did not respond.
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It wasn’t rasicts omg. You weren’t there. Last time I checked, you’re a lousy lawyer who isn’t in her class.
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I wasn’t there for Jim Crow. I wasn’t they are for poll taxes. I wasn’t there for whites only bathrooms. I’m not allowed to call those things racist?
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Penis
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Complete BS, my friends are in this class and just said that they didn’t like that subject matter, and that’s it! Nobody was “forced” to do anything!
Putting her out like this may ruin her. Be ashamed
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My reporting on this is solid. I offered the teacher and the principal an opportunity to comment before the story went out and they passed on it. Tell your friend to reach out and I will be more than happy to include their version of events in the story.
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Don’t be a dick, Benjamin.
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Your game would play better on Twitter.
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Obviously they’d pass it. You sound like a random person, who doesn’t live in Ossining who’s putting your business where it shouldn’t be.
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I’m *definitely* a random person. What did your parents think about the assignment?
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I was in that class myself, and I can tell you that maybe they didn’t feel pressured, but my friends and I sure did. Don’t comment on this if you weren’t there.
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Anyone who is in the class should feel free to reach out to me by email. That also includes parents of kids in the class. ben at adamslawgroup dot com.
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I wasn’t there— replying
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And your point is???. Putting her name on the internet without her consent for ??. The students remain anonymous so why couldnt she ? Disgusting. This whole situation was exaggerated I have a relative in that class that did the project and this whole thing was simply because they didn’t LIKE the project. She didn’t force anyone to do ANYTHING. They could have simply asked for something else’s to do. But putting her NAME on the internet is totally unacceptable. You’re not even from ossining nor have you ever sat in one of her classes.
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There’s a lot going on here. Do you think journalists should ask for permission to write about people who do bad or questionable things? How exactly would that work out?
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That’s not really a good reply. This person is saying how wrong it is for you to put her full name out, and your come back is journalist shouldn’t ask for permission. Listen, there’s a difference between a good journalist, with a good story, and good points, then a journalists who’s a complete with reports that are BS. Dude you just ruined your whole reputation here. Perhaps we should write a report on you, on how you’re bias, rude, uneducated, obnoxious, and how your writing of false accusations.
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You should think about my reply a bit more. I’m being criticized for not asking her permission but why should journalists ask permission to do reporting? I also gave her a chance to correct anything before any of this was printed and she declined. Why aren’t any of the students or their parents willing to go public and correct the record if this is a bad job of reporting?
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I’d love to have a more complete conversation. Could you organize a group of students to sit down with me and talk about what happened?
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Leah please have your relative reach out to me. We can include their account in the story. Everything we have done here is geared towards accuracy. I stand by this reporting 100%.
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Just because you’re lawyer doesn’t mean you can do s**** like this. And just because no one contacted you back doesn’t give you the right to take into upon yourself and put her name online. What if she’s receiving threats or something all because you put her name out there. DISGUSTING. She had kids and a life and a JOB so she’s not obligated to respond to anyone. Especially to some guy that just wants clout. If you weren’t there and don’t have proof other than FRESHMAN getting in their feelings then wyd??. They need to be prepared for the real world because that’s what high school Ian all about
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She has a FAMILY and a JOB. So she’s not OBLIGATED to answer from you. But that doesn’t give you the right to put her name out online anyways. Who do you think you are MTV? She didn’t FORCE anyone to do ANYTHING. If that’s the case why isn’t the whole class complaining ? Those “hurt” kids need to be prepared for the real world because that’s what high school is all about. Im in her class she does NOT force anything on anyone. You know how many people were hurt because of the government shutdown but still went to work? Cold world get a sweater
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This is a problem of selection bias. The whole class is not complaining. I know several students were very upset and I know several parents were very upset. It sounds like you did not consider the assignment to be a problem. Is that correct?
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“lesbian girl” that sounds so problematic
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I quote people directly. I use their actual words. That’s the way to do honest reporting. Do you think that girl enjoyed writing slurs about lesbians?
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Benjamin, what is your take on yoga looking so good on TV or when others are doing it, but when you do it, you just feel throbbing pain all over?
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Who in the world thinks yoga looks good on TV?
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Who are you so say though? Are you a resident in Ossining? Are you a student of hers? Are you even familiar with Ossining?
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I grew up in Westchester. I’m a lawyer and I do citizen reporting on issues I care about. I don’t get paid to do this. I do this because I think it’s the right thing. And if there was a problem with the story and it wasn’t true then they would have reached out and told me not to print it.
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You’re definition of a “right thing to do” is WACK! Lol mind your own business. This isn’t your fight. The teacher got suspended, that’s her punishment. She doesn’t need you to publicly shame her.
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How do you know she was suspended? Did the school tell you that? Why would they suspend her if she didn’t do anything wrong?
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