AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Montessori del Mundo, a dual-language charter school in Aurora, is apologizing after playing a video for young students showing the final moments of George Floyd’s life.
Parents who spoke to FOX31 said they were outraged that the video, which showed the knee-to-neck attack, was played in front of children as young as 6 years old.
“My son, since then, has been having nightmares asking if he is a bad person for being white, even though he is a mixed child,” parent Jennie Hawkins said.
In an email sent to parents, the school said the six-second clip was shown to children after discussing the different treatment of people by some police officers, which Hawkins said left her so confused.
“He was also told that there are bad police and there are good police, but that he should not trust them,” Hawkins said. “For my son now to question if it is OK to trust a police officer is not OK.”
In a note to parents, the school said, “The intent behind this lesson was positive and in alignment with our (Black History Month) studies, however, this clip was not age-appropriate and should not have been shared with the children as part of this class.”
“They took my rights away as a parent to be able to monitor age-appropriate content that should be delivered to my child,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins is not alone in her frustration. FOX31 spoke to other concerned Montessori del Mundo parents, but they did not want to go on camera. Hawkins said the incident, along with other issues at the school, is forcing her to take her son out of the school.
Montessori del Mundo said, moving forward, parents will be asked to sign permission slips for children to watch something that might be considered controversial.
Here’s the letter Montessori del Mundo sent to parents
Dear Parents,
I want to follow up on the post that was shared by a parent on Bloomz this weekend regarding the video excerpt that was played last week as part of a Biblioteca Black History Month lesson.
What occurred:
As part of our BHM studies, we have had ongoing lessons and conversations related to a variety of topics.
Following a discussion of the different treatment of black and white people by some police officers, a six-second clip of the George Floyd video was shown to Taller 1 students. The team closed the session by answering student questions and discussing their reactions.
The intent behind this lesson was positive and in alignment with our BHM studies, however, this clip was not age appropriate and should not have been shared with the children as part of this class.
Here are the steps school staff will take to ensure parents are informed about the content of controversial or difficult topics:
- The Coordination Team will review and agree on the content and materials to be used in the classroom and Social Emotional classes.
- Parents will receive a summary of the content and links to any videos that will be shared with students before they are shared.
- Parents will sign a permission slip for children to view materials that may be considered controversial or not age appropriate, but of significant educational value.
- We will err on the side of caution and seek professional advice for topics that are beyond our expertise as educators.
We understand, respect, and feel the responsibility of the trust you place in us. We are truly sorry that this incident may have caused a break in that trust.
It is our intention to take appropriate actions and put in place specific procedures to ensure this does not happen again.
Children with additional questions or concerns will be supported by the coaching team and encouraged to talk with their parents. Parents of students who receive support from the coaching team will be notified.
If you have any questions or concerns about this incident or anything else, please feel free to contact me via email or phone.
Sincerely,
Wendy Reneé
Executive Director
