Spanish Teacher Fired For Referring To Students As 'Negroes' and 'Failures'

Petrona Smith, a 65 year old Spanish teacher, was fired from PS 211, due to her students complaining about her referring to them as 'negroes' and 'failures', and now she is suing the school for her unjust departure. Petrona is a black woman from the West Indies, and stated that her students did not quite understand that she used the word 'negro' to refer to the colour '', while she was teaching the class how to say different colours in Spanish. She explained to her students that it was not a derogatory term due to people whose native language is Spanish, often use the word 'moreno' when referring to a black person. Petrona also addressed another incident involving her calling her students 'failures,' she stated that she asked some of her students who had failed a test, to sit at the back of the classroom. All these complaints about Petrona Smith came from 7th graders, although the parents of one of the students admitted that they lied. And in fact, Petrona herself stated that her students often referred to her as 'f**king monkey', 'cockroach', and 'n**ger'. After this whole incident, Petrona has not been able to find another job, and the Law Department have not reviewed her papers of lawsuit, although they have received them.

Personally, I'm on Petrona's side in this matter. I mean, if the students were referring her to strong curse words, then what right do they have to complain that she 'apparently' referred to them as 'negroes' and failures'? However, I will admit that I feel that sending the students that failed a test to the back of the classroom is pathetic. If I had students that were failing in my class, I would send them to the front of the class so that they could concentrate better. I just feel that this whole incident is one big joke and that Petrona Smith was accused for an action that she never did. There is a difference between teaching students in a Spanish class how to say 'black' in Spanish, than referring to the students as 'negroes'. And there is a difference between sending students who failed a class to another part of the classroom either as a form of punishment or to learn better, than referring to a students as 'failures'. I think that Petrona Smith should be allowed to continue teaching at PS 211, and the students need to be punished since they feel like they are better than Petrona by referring her to whatever word they please.

(PHOTO CREDIT: Creative Commons) Petrona Smith, a Bronx teacher, who was fired for using the word "negro."







Article Sources
- "Fired For Word ‘Negro’: Spanish Teacher Petrona Smith Fired From Bronx School After Slur, Claims Misunderstanding" By Maria G. Valdez, May 24, 2013, The Latin Times

- http://www.latintimes.com/articles/4400/20130524/fired-word-negro-spanish-teacher-petrona-smith-bronx-school.htm

Photo Sources

- http://www.latintimes.com/articles/4400/20130524/fired-word-negro-spanish-teacher-petrona-smith-bronx-school.htm