An “ethnocentric” Texas teacher has been fired following backlash for saying that whites are superior.
According to NBC, The Bohls Middle School teacher was caught expressing his controversial perspective on video. In the video, he was allegedly seen telling students that whites are better.
“Deep down in my heart, I’m ethnocentric, which means I think my race is the superior one,” the unnamed teacher allegedly told a classroom full of students at Bohls Middle School, a sixth- through eighth-grade school in Pflugerville.
“I think everybody thinks that. They’re just not honest about it,” he said.
His sentiments were reportedly in response to two Black students who also challenged his beliefs.
“I’m not racist though. I like all types of kind,” the teacher replied. “Did I say I don’t like people?”
Another Black student then asked him, “Wait, so you said you are what? You are a racist?”
“I think everybody is a racist at that level,” the teacher responded before the same student told him, “No. But you said you are a racist.”
The unnamed educator was initially placed on administrative leave when the clip went viral, but now, he’s out of a job.
“As of Monday morning, Nov. 14, the teacher in question is no longer employed by Pflugerville ISD and we are actively looking for a replacement,” Pflugerville ISD Superintendent Douglas Killian said in a statement.
Killian additionally called the teacher’s alleged comments inappropriate and unacceptable.
“You’re not hired to bring your opinions into the classroom, especially when you have impressionable minds. Those kinds of exploratory conversations, that’s for the parents to expose their kids to,” Bohls Middle School parent Brian Hennington told NBC.
A spokesperson for the district said they weren’t 100 percent sure of the teacher’s race, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume he’s white.
“We want to reiterate that this conversation does not align with our core beliefs and is not a reflection of our district or our culture at Bohls Middle School,” Killian said. He ensured parents and students that the school district and middle school staff would “work together to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our students.”
