A critical time: Small handful of educators losing jobs for lessons linked to race, not CRT

Tennessee social studies teacher Matthew Hawn knew exactly what he would be teaching his students in his contemporary issues class last year. What he didn’t know was how that would eventually lead to his dismissal.  

After using Ta-Nehisi Coates’ essay titled “The First White President” and a video of Kyla Jenée Lacey performing her poem “White Privilege,” Hawn found himself reprimanded by Sullivan County School officials. They said he denied his students more than one viewpoint.  

“Your job is not to teach one perspective,” the letter of reprimand to Hawn said. “Your job is also not to ensure students simply adopt your own personal perspective. Your job – in teaching Current Events – is to ensure students learn to seek out and consider varying and credible perspectives.”