Senior year is an exciting time for high school students. You are planning for prom, graduation and deciding on colleges. However, for Josh Crayton, a student at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, he has been expelled only four months away from graduation. Why? For allegedly raising his voice at a white teacher.
Crayton told Blavity that he was discussing late assignments with his English teacher, adding, “She began to get very frustrated and loud about the whole thing and told me that she wasn’t discussing this anymore.” Ronda Crayton, his mother, requested a meeting about the incident, but she was denied and the teacher “filed a disciplinary complaint towards Crayton claiming that he raised his voice on Friday, Dec. 15.” Josh’s mother explained, “Josh and I had not been informed prior to Monday, Dec. 18, that Mrs. Miranda submitted a complaint. I was also not aware of a meeting with the principal or [if] we were invited to the review hearing. A notice was mailed to our home requesting that I withdraw my son from school immediately. We later filed an appeal on Jan. 18, that was denied on Jan. 29, by the president of the school.” Josh Crayton was expelled.
Mia Crayton, Josh’s sister, started the hashtag #LetCraytonStay and posted this on Twitter:
Josh’s mother explained, “I have my concerns about this being a racial matter. Several white students have done much more horrendous things and have been able to not only remain at Saint Ignatius but have graduated with their class. All of these incidents are well documented and so many people are reaching out and coming out with examples of these kinds of stories. It appears that there is some disparity.”
We’ll go out on a limb and say… this sounds racist as f**k. If the teacher can’t handle a student who raises their voice, maybe she shouldn’t be a teacher. Furthermore, what happened to detention or sending a disobedient student to the principal’s office? It is also extremely disturbing that the school refused to have a meeting with the parent. To ruin a young man’s last year of high school is unacceptable. The teacher should utilize some professionalism and deescalating skills to solve problems with her students, well before demanding explosion for someone raising their voice.
If you are outraged by this, you can sign a petition to let Josh finish his final year of high school.
SOURCE: AL.com, NBC News, The Post and Courier
SEE ALSO:
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Racist Cartoon In Wesley College Newspaper Prompts Students To Take Action
Black High School Student Expelled For ‘Raising His Voice’ To A White Teacher was originally published on newsone.com
