A New Jersey high school teacher has been suspended after calling George Floyd a “f—king criminal” during a zoom class.
via: Revolt
According to NBC New York, Howard Zlotkin was recorded cursing at his students at Dickinson High School during a Zoom session on Wednesday (April 28). “If you think I’m privileged then fuck you, because my daughter thinks I’m privileged and I don’t speak to her,” he said during the online class.
“I hear people whining and crying about Black Lives Matter, but George Floyd was a fucking criminal and he got arrested and he got killed because he wouldn’t comply and the bottom line is we make him a fucking hero,” Zlotkin continued.
Timmia Williams, a 17-year-old senior at the school, said the teacher focused his rant towards the Black students in the class. She said he called on her and three other Black girls and told them that he wanted an essay from them. When Williams refused to complete the essay, the teacher went off. “I don’t think you can make a case. You know what Timmia? You’re full of shit too,” Zlotkin said.
Parents immediately contacted school officials and the board of education, but they did not hear anything back until they contacted a news outlet.
“Who does that? Who would curse, I don’t even curse at my own daughter,” said Margie Nieves, Williams’ mother. Nieves said her daughter cried about the incident and asked her was there a problem with her skin color.
On Thursday (April 29), the district said that Zlotkin had been removed from teaching. They explained that “The school was in the process of taking statements from students today before proceeding with disciplinary actions, and then the second video surfaced. The teacher will not have access to students or the school as we proceed. We are appalled by the statements, profanity, disrespect and treatment of students.”
NJ Teacher Gives Profane Rant During Zoom Lesson, Calls George Floyd a ‘Criminal’ – NBC New York https://t.co/059wcWxOMG
— Mkay (@JoyAnnReid) April 30, 2021
Zlotkin has taught at Dickinson High School in Jersey City for 20 years. He is also an adjunct professor at Hudson County Community College, a position which he has also been suspended from.
