Loudoun County teacher under fire after having students pass around a stalk of cotton during class

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Loudoun County teacher under fire after having students pass around a stalk of cotton during class

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – Some parents in Loudoun County are turning to the county’s NAACP for support after they say several students were forced to pass around a stalk of cotton as part of a class demonstration.

FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis has learned the incident took place last week in a dual enrollment history class for juniors and seniors receiving college credit for the course.

We’re told a teacher brought it in as part of a lesson on the cotton ****.

Loudoun County NAACP President Pastor Michelle Thomas says the incident in question took place at Riverside High School.

She provided FOX 5 with a letter she says was shared with students in the class, not parents.

The letter is reportedly from Riverside’s principal, Doug Anderson, and says he and administrators were made aware of a “lesson and accompanying artifact that invoked uncomfortable feelings in some students.”

The principal goes on to say some students in the class may have used the situation to act in an insensitive manner. Anderson says the administration will discuss the incident with the students involved and their families.

Loudoun County Public Schools sent FOX 5 the following statement: 

LCPS Administration is aware of a history lesson at Riverside High School which occurred last Thursday. The lesson was in a US History class and involved a discussion surrounding cotton, the invention of the cotton **** and enslavement. As part of the discussion, the teacher passed around a piece of raw cotton. The lesson was upsetting to some students. This is contrary to what we believe the teacher – and LCPS – strive to accomplish in our classrooms. It is the division’s intention to achieve a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. That is not what happened here and we must and will do better.

It is the division’s practice to provide guidance when dealing with controversial or sensitive lessons regarding ways that develop critical thinking skills while also demonstrating sensitivity to the emotions often resulting from such topics. The Division’s Department of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility will work with Teaching & Learning to develop further guidance for instructional staff when lessons could potentially be associated with trauma. In addition, the division is and will be reaching out to our community partners to discuss not only the implications from this lesson, but also additional steps that can be taken in the future.

Division policies also require that parents are made aware in advance about learning goals and content when sensitive topics will be discussed.  This also did not happen, therefore the division will work to clarify for staff when this should happen in order to ensure parents are aware in advance of potentially sensitive topics in class.

LCPS will work with any students impacted by this lesson to ensure they have the support they need as we move forward.

Read the full email sent to parents by Riverside Doug Anderson below: 

Dear Parents of Students in Dual Enrollment United States history class,

I wanted to make you aware of an incident that occurred in your student’s class last week. My Administrators and I were made aware of a lesson and accompanying artifact that invoked uncomfortable feelings in some students. We recognize that lessons of this nature may cause students to feel any number of emotions. In addition, some students in the class may have used the situation as a way to act in an insensitive manner. We will discuss the incident with the students involved and their families. We are addressing this issue in accordance with School Board policies as we endeavor to be better prepared in the future.

I share this with you because we take matters that involve our students’ safety, both physically and emotionally, seriously. I am sorry to have to share this with you, but I thought it was important that you hear from me.

Every individual is valued in Loudoun County Public Schools. Our Administrative Team will work closely with our classroom teachers, school counselors, and our Unified Mental Health Team to best support students who were involved as needed during this time.

Loudoun County Public Schools is dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students.

Respectfully,

Doug Anderson

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