WaPo article about teacher "taking off hijab"

[Anonymous]

As a former teacher the other thing that bother’s me about the story is that it takes 5 minutes of teaching young black girls as a white woman to learn that you need to be extra sensitive about their hair, if you didn’t know it already. I wouldn’t forcibly remove a hoodie from any child but I especially wouldn’t make it an issue with a Black girl without speaking to her privately first (if I had to address it at all because of dress code or whatever). So the teacher is clearly suspect but that doesn’t take away from how crazy and wrong the family are.

[Anonymous]

You can’t force your child to wear a hijab.

[Anonymous]

Something similar happened at Lake Braddock several years ago. Same escalation due to social media. It was horrible for the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is awful. The family seems completely nuts. What the teacher said makes sense.

God, poor teachers. If this isn’t a lesson to stay away from everyone then I don’t know what is

I’m a public school teacher, not Muslim, and think Herman was wrong. I would not have touched a child to remove their hoodie if that’s what I thought they had on their head. The proper thing to do would be to ask the child to remove a hoodie if not permitted. If the child refused, have admin address it.

According to the article, allegedly three other families have complained about Herman’s treatment of Black girls: “ In 2017, Herman allegedly gave a Black girl’s snack bar to a White girl who was also claiming it, saying she trusted her more. In 2020, she allegedly yelled into the ear of a Black girl and later defended herself by saying simply, “I was having a bad day.” And on the day of the hijab incident, Herman is alleged to have snatched a water bottle out of the hand of a student, another Black girl.” The article goes on to say “ One of Herman’s attorneys declined to go into detail but called the allegations “grossly misconstrued and inaccurate.” Alright, explain what did happen with three other kids that they so horrible misunderstood your intentions.

It’s easy to make someone look racist when you cherry pick.

That was my thought too. She’s taught for 30 years and 20 in that district. Bound to be some people who interpret isolated incidents in different ways over such a long career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is awful. The family seems completely nuts. What the teacher said makes sense.

God, poor teachers. If this isn’t a lesson to stay away from everyone then I don’t know what is

I’m a public school teacher, not Muslim, and think Herman was wrong. I would not have touched a child to remove their hoodie if that’s what I thought they had on their head. The proper thing to do would be to ask the child to remove a hoodie if not permitted. If the child refused, have admin address it.

According to the article, allegedly three other families have complained about Herman’s treatment of Black girls: “ In 2017, Herman allegedly gave a Black girl’s snack bar to a White girl who was also claiming it, saying she trusted her more. In 2020, she allegedly yelled into the ear of a Black girl and later defended herself by saying simply, “I was having a bad day.” And on the day of the hijab incident, Herman is alleged to have snatched a water bottle out of the hand of a student, another Black girl.” The article goes on to say “ One of Herman’s attorneys declined to go into detail but called the allegations “grossly misconstrued and inaccurate.” Alright, explain what did happen with three other kids that they so horrible misunderstood your intentions.

It’s easy to make someone look racist when you cherry pick.

That was my thought too. She’s taught for 30 years and 20 in that district. Bound to be some people who interpret isolated incidents in different ways over such a long career.

Interesting take, my take is oh she's old and racist. I have a ton of friends who have taught 30 years and they don't have that many complaints.

Sometimes it's just time to move on, 30 year... move her to an office job, teaching has passed her by.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is awful. The family seems completely nuts. What the teacher said makes sense.

God, poor teachers. If this isn’t a lesson to stay away from everyone then I don’t know what is

I’m a public school teacher, not Muslim, and think Herman was wrong. I would not have touched a child to remove their hoodie if that’s what I thought they had on their head. The proper thing to do would be to ask the child to remove a hoodie if not permitted. If the child refused, have admin address it.

According to the article, allegedly three other families have complained about Herman’s treatment of Black girls: “ In 2017, Herman allegedly gave a Black girl’s snack bar to a White girl who was also claiming it, saying she trusted her more. In 2020, she allegedly yelled into the ear of a Black girl and later defended herself by saying simply, “I was having a bad day.” And on the day of the hijab incident, Herman is alleged to have snatched a water bottle out of the hand of a student, another Black girl.” The article goes on to say “ One of Herman’s attorneys declined to go into detail but called the allegations “grossly misconstrued and inaccurate.” Alright, explain what did happen with three other kids that they so horrible misunderstood your intentions.

It’s easy to make someone look racist when you cherry pick.

That was my thought too. She’s taught for 30 years and 20 in that district. Bound to be some people who interpret isolated incidents in different ways over such a long career.

Interesting take, my take is oh she's old and racist. I have a ton of friends who have taught 30 years and they don't have that many complaints.

Sometimes it's just time to move on, 30 year... move her to an office job, teaching has passed her by.

Let's be clear about the other complaints. They amounted to:
1. In 2017 thinking a snack belonged to one child vs. another and giving it to that other child (both of which claimed it was their snack).
2. In 2020 yelling in the ear of a child (yes this one is bad I agree)
3. In 2022 taking a water bottle from a child.

These are hardly glaringly racist actions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is awful. The family seems completely nuts. What the teacher said makes sense.

God, poor teachers. If this isn’t a lesson to stay away from everyone then I don’t know what is

I’m a public school teacher, not Muslim, and think Herman was wrong. I would not have touched a child to remove their hoodie if that’s what I thought they had on their head. The proper thing to do would be to ask the child to remove a hoodie if not permitted. If the child refused, have admin address it.

According to the article, allegedly three other families have complained about Herman’s treatment of Black girls: “ In 2017, Herman allegedly gave a Black girl’s snack bar to a White girl who was also claiming it, saying she trusted her more. In 2020, she allegedly yelled into the ear of a Black girl and later defended herself by saying simply, “I was having a bad day.” And on the day of the hijab incident, Herman is alleged to have snatched a water bottle out of the hand of a student, another Black girl.” The article goes on to say “ One of Herman’s attorneys declined to go into detail but called the allegations “grossly misconstrued and inaccurate.” Alright, explain what did happen with three other kids that they so horrible misunderstood your intentions.

It’s easy to make someone look racist when you cherry pick.

That was my thought too. She’s taught for 30 years and 20 in that district. Bound to be some people who interpret isolated incidents in different ways over such a long career.

Interesting take, my take is oh she's old and racist. I have a ton of friends who have taught 30 years and they don't have that many complaints.

Sometimes it's just time to move on, 30 year... move her to an office job, teaching has passed her by.

Let's be clear about the other complaints. They amounted to:
1. In 2017 thinking a snack belonged to one child vs. another and giving it to that other child (both of which claimed it was their snack).
2. In 2020 yelling in the ear of a child (yes this one is bad I agree)
3. In 2022 taking a water bottle from a child.

These are hardly glaringly racist actions.

They are just complaints not actual findings. My kids used to come home and tell me that their teacher "yelled at them" when in reality they just spoke sternly to them or corrected them. 30 years and 3 complaints? Not half bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is awful. The family seems completely nuts. What the teacher said makes sense.

God, poor teachers. If this isn’t a lesson to stay away from everyone then I don’t know what is

I’m a public school teacher, not Muslim, and think Herman was wrong. I would not have touched a child to remove their hoodie if that’s what I thought they had on their head. The proper thing to do would be to ask the child to remove a hoodie if not permitted. If the child refused, have admin address it.

According to the article, allegedly three other families have complained about Herman’s treatment of Black girls: “ In 2017, Herman allegedly gave a Black girl’s snack bar to a White girl who was also claiming it, saying she trusted her more. In 2020, she allegedly yelled into the ear of a Black girl and later defended herself by saying simply, “I was having a bad day.” And on the day of the hijab incident, Herman is alleged to have snatched a water bottle out of the hand of a student, another Black girl.” The article goes on to say “ One of Herman’s attorneys declined to go into detail but called the allegations “grossly misconstrued and inaccurate.” Alright, explain what did happen with three other kids that they so horrible misunderstood your intentions.

It’s easy to make someone look racist when you cherry pick.

That was my thought too. She’s taught for 30 years and 20 in that district. Bound to be some people who interpret isolated incidents in different ways over such a long career.

Interesting take, my take is oh she's old and racist. I have a ton of friends who have taught 30 years and they don't have that many complaints.

Sometimes it's just time to move on, 30 year... move her to an office job, teaching has passed her by.

Let's be clear about the other complaints. They amounted to:
1. In 2017 thinking a snack belonged to one child vs. another and giving it to that other child (both of which claimed it was their snack).
2. In 2020 yelling in the ear of a child (yes this one is bad I agree)
3. In 2022 taking a water bottle from a child.

These are hardly glaringly racist actions.

They are just complaints not actual findings. My kids used to come home and tell me that their teacher "yelled at them" when in reality they just spoke sternly to them or corrected them. 30 years and 3 complaints? Not half bad.

LOL! Lots of parents were complaining about my DD's teacher yelling. (This was years ago.) I asked DD about it and her response was--"she only yells at kids that deserve it!" Maybe, it also says something about our household....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a former teacher the other thing that bother’s me about the story is that it takes 5 minutes of teaching young black girls as a white woman to learn that you need to be extra sensitive about their hair, if you didn’t know it already. I wouldn’t forcibly remove a hoodie from any child but I especially wouldn’t make it an issue with a Black girl without speaking to her privately first (if I had to address it at all because of dress code or whatever). So the teacher is clearly suspect but that doesn’t take away from how crazy and wrong the family are.

I spent four years of teaching first grade kids==95% African American. I don't ever remember having an issue with little girls' hair (I'm white.) I do remember a little boy who wore a hat which I removed. Turned out his head had been shaved for summer and he was mortified. The other kids had been teasing him.

Hijabs were not a thing in that school.

I don't think the teacher was racist. I think it was genuine.

And, you would be surprised at the things parents complain about. Though, I did not have complaints in that school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former teacher the other thing that bother’s me about the story is that it takes 5 minutes of teaching young black girls as a white woman to learn that you need to be extra sensitive about their hair, if you didn’t know it already. I wouldn’t forcibly remove a hoodie from any child but I especially wouldn’t make it an issue with a Black girl without speaking to her privately first (if I had to address it at all because of dress code or whatever). So the teacher is clearly suspect but that doesn’t take away from how crazy and wrong the family are.

I spent four years of teaching first grade kids==95% African American. I don't ever remember having an issue with little girls' hair (I'm white.) I do remember a little boy who wore a hat which I removed. Turned out his head had been shaved for summer and he was mortified. The other kids had been teasing him.

Hijabs were not a thing in that school.

I don't think the teacher was racist. I think it was genuine.

And, you would be surprised at the things parents complain about. Though, I did not have complaints in that school.

I’m surprised because I didn’t have *issues* with hair I just had girls would be sensitive/upset if their hair wasn’t done the way they wanted. This was a high poverty school so sometimes parents weren’t able or willing to help them.