Substitute teacher axed for assigning controversial videos for history homework

Rochester Schools Superintendent Kyle Repucci (Rochester Voice file photo)

ROCHESTER - A Spaulding High substitute teacher was fired this week for violating the district's policy regarding use of content and assigning students to watch videos with inappropriate language, Rochester School Superintendent Kyle Repucci said today.

"It was brought to our attention that a substitute teacher violated the district's policy regarding the use of content with mature language when assigning work for a high school history course," Repucci said. "We take these matters seriously, and the substitute teacher has since been dismissed as a result of this violation.

The assignment in question involved watching uncensored episodes of an HBO series titled Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, a far-left critic of the Trump administration and supporter of Black Lives Matter protests, which have often turned violent.

The videos that were part of the assignment reportedly dealt with the Black Lives Matter movement and its call for police reform.

The subject matter of the video also violated the school's policy to always provide a contrasting point of view, school officials said.

And the content assigned by the substitute also "was not in line with curriculum created by the students' regular teacher," Repucci added.

The students given the assignment were in a sophomore-level social studies class.

The school learned of the problem after several parents complained.