Black Lives Matter shirt worn in class sparks death threats, California teacher says
A California high school teacher says she has been forced to leave her home after her address was posted online and she got death threats for wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt to class.
An English teacher, whose name is being withheld, wore a T-shirt reading “I can’t breathe” to class, The Los Angeles Times reported. The words are a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement after they were spoken by George Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis police custody in May. They were also spoken by Eric Garner, who died in New York in 2014 after being put in a chokehold by police.
The teacher filed a restraining order against a parent at the school and two others after a picture of her wearing the shirt was sent out, along with her email address, CBS Los Angeles reported. After her address was posted online, she was forced to flee her home.
The photo was shared by Elijah Schaffer, a reporter for The Blaze, who wrote on Twitter: “A concerned father reached out to me because his daughter was not being taught English in her online English class.” The teacher said she started receiving death threats after that, The Los Angeles Times reported.
“I can’t afford to go to a hotel and I can’t go home,” she told CBS Los Angeles. “My daughter’s a ninth-grader starting at this school. She wears a mask. We can’t stay in our home.”
“I heard she was filing a restraining order. I couldn’t tell you why it would be against me,” Scott Blodgett told CBS Los Angeles. He said his intention wasn’t to try to get her fired and that the death threats she received are “horrible.”
Hundreds of teachers gathered on Wednesday to wear Black Lives Matter shirts and to stand in solidarity with the teacher, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“What happened at El Camino is a travesty,” United Teachers Los Angeles President Cecily Myart-Cruz told the publication. “No one should have to endure those kinds of attacks, and surely the school should be doing a much better job in addressing the attacks as well as shielding the educators that work at the school site.”
David Hussey, executive director of El Camino Real Charter High School, told Newsweek in a statement:
“Black Lives Matter at ECR is not a platform used for political gains. Yes, it’s a movement, but more importantly it brings cultural awareness. . . and affirms the humanity of our students and communities,” Hussey said.
“As a school, we support ECR teachers, staff, and students who speak up for those whose voices have been oppressed and pledge our commitment to moving beyond protest to action.”
A GoFundMe page has raised over $11,000 for the teacher’s “re-location fees, and for her family’s safety.”
“She may also need mental health resources and other needs taken care of during this difficult time,” the description reads. “Not only did this parent violate the policies set-forth by the school to not take pictures or record classes, but they are trying to bully this teacher into not being able to speak about these significant issues.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Black Lives Matter shirt worn in class sparks death threats, California teacher says."