Community calls for firing of Riverside teacher seen on video mocking Native American culture
Protest over Riverside teacher seen wearing Native American headdress
A Riverside teacher was placed on leave after video of her seen chanting and dancing in a fake paper-made Native American headgear went viral.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Members of the Native American community held a rally at the Riverside School District Headquarters Thursday, demanding a meeting with officials following a video that went viral of a teacher mocking Native American culture.
The video, which went viral last week, shows a match teacher chanting "SohCahToa" while war hooping and tomahawk chopping in a fake paper-made Native American headgear.
The teacher, who works at John W. North High School, was suspended but parents and community members are not satisfied and say they want her fired.
"I see a lot of conversation about this being a mistake, not intentional, yet she twisted the words to say ‘suck a toe’ and ‘suck my toe’ that tells me that was a conscious decision to disrespect the culture. Plus she’s praising a water goddess and the wrong gods we don’t even know about," she one person who attended the rally.
During the rally, after initially being told by security they had to leave, a small group of leaders of Native American groups were allowed in while the rest of the group continued their rally.
After approximately an hour, the group came out disappointed. The district told them that while they are disappointed in what the teacher did, and that it does not represent their values, they can’t fire her immediately. The district suspended her pending an investigation, which may end up in her termination.
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