Teachers Suspended For Handing Out Photos Of RuPaul & OJ Simpson

Three white elementary teachers in Los Angeles have been suspended for handing out photos of RuPaul, OJ Simpson, and Dennis Rodman as joking examples of black heroes for the children to carry during a parade marking Black History Month.

A district spokeswoman said the teachers at Wadsworth Elementary School, where the majority of the students are Latino, could have made more appropriate choices, such as Oprah Winfrey. Civil rights activists said the choices made a mockery of black history and reinforced racial stereotypes. "Their selection goes beyond ignorance. It speaks to arrogance and racism," said Rev. Eric Lee, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of greater Los Angeles. The Friday parade included children from several classes who carried photos of President Obama, Nelson Mandela and Harriet Tubman. The three unidentified male teachers were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. L.A. Unified School District Superintendent Ramon Cortines told the local ABC affiliate he has asked that the teachers be suspended without pay.

I actually don't have a problem with the RuPaul photo, although the teachers obviously meant to express homophobia. RuPaul IS a hero, to me.