A substitute teacher in North Carolina is facing accusations of racism after he was caught on video berating a high school student for speaking Spanish in the classroom.
"Go back to where you speak Spanish if you don't want to speak English," said Gary Atta, as he stood over a student in a South Mecklenburg High classroom on Monday. Other students gasped. "I'm racist, right?"
"Yes, you are," the student replied.
Another student caught the encounter on video and shared the recording with WSOC-TV. The student, who did not want to be identified, told the television station she was alarmed by what she heard.
"I was like, 'It's not right. This is racism,' " she said.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District said it will no longer use Atta as a substitute. It had employed him as a substitute teacher since January 2015. He could not be reached for comment.
South Mecklenburg principal Maureen Furr said in a message to parents that officials are reviewing "the entire incident."
"At South we seek to create a safe and respectful environment for students and staff, and promote respectful interaction for all," Furr said.
Mecklenburg South High, like the rest of the district, has a diverse student population. Last school year, about 31 percent of the high school's students were Hispanic, 26 percent were black and 36 percent were white, according to a district report.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
"Go back to where you speak Spanish if you don't want to speak English," said Gary Atta, as he stood over a student in a South Mecklenburg High classroom on Monday. Other students gasped. "I'm racist, right?"
"Yes, you are," the student replied.
"I was like, 'It's not right. This is racism,' " she said.
Advertisement
South Mecklenburg principal Maureen Furr said in a message to parents that officials are reviewing "the entire incident."
Advertisement
Mecklenburg South High, like the rest of the district, has a diverse student population. Last school year, about 31 percent of the high school's students were Hispanic, 26 percent were black and 36 percent were white, according to a district report.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Anti-Racism Protesters Continue To Rally Across UK After Far-Right Riots Anti-Racism Protests Erupt In UK Amid Unrest After Far-Right Demonstrations Black Woman Says She Faced Casual Racism At Abu Dhabi Airport: "The Automatic Assumption..." Parents Gave Names Of Interns, Doctors To CBI In Kolkata Horror: Sources How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death Blinken Heading To Israel To Press Gaza Truce 'INDIA' Is with You Against "Injustice": Rahul Gandhi To Arvind Kejriwal "Strong Indications" Bangladesh Security Forces Used "Unnecessary" Force: UN Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.