Louisiana teacher's racist rant about Colin Kaepernick goes viral
Valerie Scogin isn’t the first teacher in America to have a racist response to Colin Kaepernick’s powerful Nike ad — and, given the current landscape, it’s unlikely she’ll be the last.
Last week, the internet was up in arms over the principal at J.H. McGaugh Elementary School in California, who posted a picture of a torn-up Nike shirt and referred to Kaepernick as an “anti-American thug.” But Scogin, a 33-year-old math teacher at Slidell High School in Louisiana, took the racist remarks a step further — invoking both slavery and animal comparisons. “They don’t have to live in that country, they could go back,” Scogin wrote in her since-deleted post, which was captured by The Root. “They could go back, but it was their own people selling them into slavery, and tearing them even worse in those countries of origin.”
(Photo: Slidell High School/Nike)
After falsely representing slavery, Scogin went on to suggest black people who disagree with practices in America simply move. “Want a better neighborhood? Move. You don’t have to choose to live in those zip codes,” she wrote. “Want to not be stereotyped, tell people of that color to quit acting like animals and perpetuating that stereotype. Many are are average people; the few ruin it.” Scogin’s post ends by suggesting black people “quit voting for handouts” and “pay taxes.”
While Slidell High School did not respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment, a spokesperson from the school has confirmed to media that disciplinary action has been taken. “The posting was voluntarily removed,” spokeswoman Meredith Mendez told the New Orleans Advocate. “The appropriate disciplinary action has been taken. I can’t comment further.”
Valerie Scogin isn’t the first teacher in America to have a racist response to Colin Kaepernick’s powerful Nike ad — and, given the current landscape, it’s unlikely she’ll be the last.
Last week, the internet was up in arms over the principal at J.H. McGaugh Elementary School in California, who posted a picture of a torn-up Nike shirt and referred to Kaepernick as an “anti-American thug.” But Scogin, a 33-year-old math teacher at Slidell High School in Louisiana, took the racist remarks a step further — invoking both slavery and animal comparisons. “They don’t have to live in that country, they could go back,” Scogin wrote in her since-deleted post, which was captured by The Root. “They could go back, but it was their own people selling them into slavery, and tearing them even worse in those countries of origin.”
(Photo: Slidell High School/Nike)
After falsely representing slavery, Scogin went on to suggest black people who disagree with practices in America simply move. “Want a better neighborhood? Move. You don’t have to choose to live in those zip codes,” she wrote. “Want to not be stereotyped, tell people of that color to quit acting like animals and perpetuating that stereotype. Many are are average people; the few ruin it.” Scogin’s post ends by suggesting black people “quit voting for handouts” and “pay taxes.”
While Slidell High School did not respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment, a spokesperson from the school has confirmed to media that disciplinary action has been taken. “The posting was voluntarily removed,” spokeswoman Meredith Mendez told the New Orleans Advocate. “The appropriate disciplinary action has been taken. I can’t comment further.”
