A Fairfax County teacher who asked a student if she is an illegal immigrant was in trouble with administrators Monday night.
She teaches at Centreville High School.
Days after the Nov. 8 election in a sophomore English class, that teacher told her students to write down their reaction to the election results and Donald Trump victory.
She told them that she really wanted them to let their feelings out and that they could even use curse words. But that's not what has made some parents so angry.
"I'm very disgusted in the election," begins the writing assignment completed by Kelly Varela's daughter.
Her daughter writes that Trump "judges people by their race and gender...Trump can kiss my ass. I am thankful for the life I have and my family (which Trump is trying to deport because we are Hispanic, but whatever)"
When she got her paper back, the teacher had written this next to the line about deportation:
"If I may ask, Are you legal or illegal? If depends on that factor for deportation. I hope you get to stay!"
"That hurts me. That hurts for my daughter. The fears that she has. A teacher saying, I hope you get to stay. It's wrong," said Varela.
A spokesman for Fairfax County Public Schools released the following statement:
"FCPS policy is to provide equitable treatment and opportunities for all. FCPS is not permitted to request a student’s proof of citizenship and does not enforce immigration laws."
Varela said when met with Centreville High School's principal and vice principal last week, they already knew what happened because other parents complained. Their children had seen it on Varela's daughter's Snap Chat story.
"She thought it was a joke. So she took a picture and posted it, and actually said," is this for real?," Varela said.
Administrators have moved her daughter to another teacher's English class but Varela thinks that the teacher who made the comments should be suspended. She said her daughter feels singled out.
"She can't even walk down the same hallway that she used to walk down because she wants to avoid that teacher, who is still on the job teaching. Now [my daughter] is the one feeling like she did something wrong because she was pulled out of her class with all her friends. These kids are scared and she's scared because of the way the teacher made her feel," said Varela.
FCPS sent WUSA9 the following statement:
"The assignment asked students to write down their reactions to the Nov. 8 election results. The teacher’s written comment was inappropriate and the matter was immediately addressed by school administrators when they became aware of it."
FCPS would not discuss any possible disciplinary action taken with the teacher because that is a confidential personnel matter.
WUSA9 chose not to name neither the student, (because her mother asked us not to) nor the teacher, (because FCPS did not name her).
