Korean American groups are calling for the firing of a New Jersey teacher at a prestigious public high school in Bergen County.
NorthJersey.com reports the demand from a coalition of 10 groups came a week after the organizations expressed concerns about allegations the teacher had told students she hates Koreans.
“The Korean-American community in Bergen County and beyond is deeply offended by the remarks, concerned with the learning environment the said teacher has created, and distrustful of the administration’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity,” the statement read.
One 2015 graduate of Bergen County Academies told NorthJersey.com the teacher also made teasing, but “derogatory comments” as well about Chinese and Japanese that made students “uncomfortable.” The student declined to give her name.
Other said the alleged remark about Korean students has happened more than once.
“This wasn’t an isolated incident,” Sungkwan Jang told NJ.com. “Its a years-long pattern of unevenly applying the rules and harassing remarks against groups ethnic and otherwise, not limited to Koreans.”
The Superintendent of Bergen County Technical Schools,Howard Lerner, vowed to respond to the groups concerns by their December 13 deadline.
“I want to reiterate that the Bergen County Technical Schools remains committed to working with the Korean American Community in order to resolve concerns as reasonably, fairly and promptly as possible,” Lerner said.
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