The Saugerties Central School District reassigned Saugerties High School’s ninth-grade English teacher Hope Antonelli while they investigate a writing assignment that spread false information about George Floyd‘s death.
What We Know:
- Antonelli asked her students to create a paragraph with bold “thematic” statements in the Regents exam format and use phrases like “it is evident,” “it is clear,” and “it is obvious.” She told her class to defend one of two prompts through their writing.
- The first example claimed that Floyd died of a heart attack and drug overdose, not because Derek Chauvin put his knee on Floyd’s neck. The second example focused on juror Brandon Mitchell and whether or not Chauvin should get a new trial; she wrote that new “evidence” showed that Mitchell could not have been communicating how he really felt about police officers and may have lied about his participation in Black Lives Matter rallies. Although Antonelli eventually revised the prompt, it still showed evident racial bias, declared Saugerties Central School District Superintendent Kirk Reinhardt.
- One mother, Sakinah Irizarry, posted a screenshot of the instructions on Facebook. “Saugerties continues to make a name for itself with teachers like this,” she captioned. “Who wants to take bets on it making the national news?”
- Reinhardt and other district officials learned of the task when a student brought it to their attention because she felt uncomfortable. The school district quickly took initiative in punishing Antonelli. In a May 12 statement to the community, Reinhardt announced the district would investigate the prompt. In addition, he ensured the Saugerties citizens the district takes allegations like Antonelli’s “very seriously.” He also reminded readers of the existing procedures under the Dignity for All Students Act (“DASA”) policy.
- Alongside reassuring parents, Reinhardt immediately reassigned Antonelli to a different school while the district reviews the case. He let the public know the school was “within the district” and she will continue working in her “tenured area.” However, he did not inform anyone of her new institution or how long the investigation would take.
- The reassignment garnered mixed reviews from Saugerties parents. For example, Town Board member John Schoonmaker, two candidates for Town Board, and some parents demanded the school district fire Antonelli. Justine Gauckler, a mother of three and two-year member of the diversity committee, told the Times Herald-Record that even though she wanted Antonelli suspended and immediate racial bias training, she was happy the teacher was out of the classroom. Justine Tomkiell, another mother of three told Daily Freeman she believes the reassignment will carve a path toward correcting discrimination in the education system.
Antonelli’s fate in the Saugerties Central School District is currently unknown. Reinhardt declared he would not discuss that subject to avoid controversy. He also noted that he does not know how difficult it is to remove any tenured unionized member. “I’m sure there’s due process and protocol,” he said. Black News Alert will provide more information when it becomes available.
