Iowa Teacher Tells Black Student To Address Him With ‘Yes Sir Master’

Jabre and his mother Nicholle White (courtesy of The Des Moines Register)
Jabre and his mother Nicholle White (courtesy of The Des Moines Register)

An Iowa student, Jabre White, was headed to take his final in economics when his teacher, Shawn McCurtain, said something that is absolutely appalling and repugnant.

When Jabre?stopped on the second floor, McCurtain reminded him that they were going all the way downstairs. When Jabre?responded ?Yes sir,? this is what his teacher responded back with.

?You meant to say, ?Yes sir, master.?

Jabre is a young black student. He was stunned. Who wouldn’t be? In his surprise, he shot back, ?Who the (expletive) are you talking to? You’re nobody’s master, and this is not the slave days.?


When Jabre’s mother, Nicholle White heard of the incident, she took it to the administrators of the school. However, she has not been pleased with the lack of disclosure from the officials.

The Des Moines Register reported:

?After she found out about the exchange in mid-May, White said, she asked school officials to look into it? Vice Principal Joseph Blazevich investigated and confirmed the comment was made.?

That’s right folks. Neither school officials nor McCurtain himself deny the comment was made.

?District officials don’t deny the comment happened, either. Spokesman Phil Roeder said district policy clearly bars any form of discrimination, including comments, by an employee toward a student. ?To put it mildly, it was wrong in every way you look at it,? he said.”

However, McCurtain is still working for the district, and Blazevich wrote to Mrs. White making the usual remarks that it was ?terrible? and ?shameful;? however, ?he noted that he could not say what disciplinary action was pursued because district personnel matters are confidential under state law.?

McCurtain did contact Mrs. White to apologize. He told her he meant it to be humorous.

Mrs. White and her son are upset with how lightly the situation has been handled.

Nicholle White:

?I have tried to be humble? But I also feel I need to express as a mother and as a black woman, how I feel.?

Jabre admits he should not have handled it the way he did. However, he feels there was more focus on his use of language rather than the fact McCurtain said something extremely racist and derogatory and demeaning to the human soul. He felt no one believed him.

Jabre:

?When I told Mr. Blazevich about it, he’didn’t?seem surprised about what the teacher said. He was more interested in about what I said. He was upset that I dropped the F-bomb? He said, no that’s not how Roosevelt?student’s act.

Jabre did apologize and said ?he went on with the rest of his day.? He also shared that he has had problems with this teacher since his freshman year, and that McCurtain played favorites with his students. He felt ?outcasted? according to his mother. She said she has only asked that her son be treated the way anyone else would want to be treated.

Mrs. White has been informed that if she was to take this to a state level, it will take months. The Des Moines Register reviewed the state board’s decisions and have found ??the board’s decisions in recent years suggests a suspension or license revocation would be unlikely.?

Jabre is not just an average student. He has many accomplishments behind him.

?Bound for Iowa State University next fall, White regularly attends church, sings in choirs, works at Dahl’s on Ingersoll, and serves as vice president of the World Youth Leadership Academy at Creative Visions, a nonprofit where his mom also volunteers.?

Jabre was praised at graduation by Principal Kevin Biggs, and was awarded the Wanda Everage Award which is given to a senior who ?best embodies qualities of respect and responsibility to Roosevelt.?

I’m not sure what Mr. McCurtain thought was so humorous about such a degrading comment. No one deserves such treatment. Mrs. White has stated she feels that Mr. McCurtain should have diversity training; however, I feel and CALL for him to be fired. You can have all the diversity training there is, but this incident shows an EXTREME erring of judgment on Mr. McCurtain’s part. Let’s not even get started on the insensitivity that goes along with it. If this is how he talks to students and treats students, he shouldn’t be allowed near them. To allow a teacher to behave in this manner sets an example for students showing that it’s okay to behave in such a manner. Furthermore, parents should have the right to know how a matter was handled. If it takes months to hear from a state board, Mrs. White should never stop, and I hope she doesn’t. She plans on contacting the NAACP and the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. Let us know on the Liberal America Facebook page how you feel about this atrocity.

Check out the interview with Jabre and his mother below.


h/t to The Raw Story.

 

biopicLizLiz Lee considers herself a modern woman of the South and hails from the swamps of South Georgia. She votes along no party line and prefers to look at issues from all angles before taking a stance. She takes particular interest in healthcare issues, mental health issues, and the battle for equality. She is also an emphatic advocate for the end to dog breed discrimination legislation. She is a wife, mother of one human child, mother to one furry American Bully, a college student, and also your typical everyday Wonder Woman. She is also considered a tool of the devil for writing for liberals, and she’s okay with that. When she hangs up her cape, you can find her curled up in her office sewing, writing, playing World of Warcraft, or practicing banjo. You can follow her on Facebook to see what issue she is tackling.