Teacher accused of using slur to describe Black teacher, has class do cotton-picking exercise

LADSON, S.C. (WCSC/Gray News) - A mother is looking for answers after she said her son’s teacher used the word “monkey” to describe another teacher, who is Black, and made her son partake in a cotton-picking exercise.

Lashanda Wiggins’ son goes to Oakbrook Middle School in Ladson, South Carolina. She told WCSC something his teacher allegedly said a couple of weeks ago has her upset.

“His teacher had made some comments that she has a teacher next door, he’s a Black teacher, and she refers to him as the ‘monkey next door,’” Wiggins said.

Her son said immediately after the teacher made comments, she had the class do a cotton-picking activity.

“From what the assistant principal explained to me is that she was going to just bring the cotton in, give it to the kids and her words were, ‘Here’s how you pick cotton,’” Wiggins said.

She also said her son was upset.

“He wanted to know, why do we have to relive that or why do we have to go back to that?” Wiggins said.

The principal acknowledged what happened but Wiggins said she has been provided no other answers as to any kind of repercussions.

“I send my kids to school to learn,” Wiggins said. “They’re supposed to be treated equally amongst their peers and the people that are responsible for teaching them. So when he came home and told me that, I was extremely and still extremely upset.”

The district responded to a request for comment with this statement:

“Dorchester School District Two takes every allegation seriously. We are currently investigating an alleged incident at Oakbrook Middle School. We do not comment on personnel matters.”

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