ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — Parents in one Ross County school district are raising concerns after an audio recording of a teacher allegedly using an offensive racial slur has surfaced.
Students at Unioto High School were studying the book “Of Mice and Men,” according to several students and their families who have contacted the Guardian. The book was written by John Steinbeck in 1937 and has been deemed controversial by many. Staff members within Unioto have also confirmed the assignment to the Guardian.
In the audio recording, the teacher — who the Guardian is not naming because a formal investigation has not been confirmed — is heard reading the racially-charged text.
“‘Give the stable buck hell?’ he asked. Sure. Ya see, the stable buck’s a nigger. Nigger, huh? Yeah. Nice fella, too. Got a crooked back where a horse kicked him. The boss gives him hell when he’s mad. But the stable buck don’t give a damn about that. He reads a lot. Got books in his room. “What kind of a guy is the boss?” George asked. ‘Well, he’s a pretty nice fella. Gets pretty mad sometimes, but he’s pretty nice. Tell ya what- know what he done Christmas? Brang a gallon of whisky right in here and says, ‘Drink hearty, boys. Christmas comes but once a year.’ The hell he did! Whole gallon? Yes sir. Jesus, we had fun. They let the nigger come in that night. Little skinner name of Smitty took after the nigger. Done pretty good, too. The guys wouldn’t let him use his feet, so the nigger .…”
Video released by students in the class
The Guardian reached out to Unioto High School Principal Nathan Caplinger and Superintendent Matthew Thornsberry regarding the appropriateness of the teacher’s recitation. As of the press time, the district has yet to comment.
Because district representatives will not return calls or messages, the Guardian is unable to confirm if the teacher chose the assignment or if it was a mandatory curriculum.
“We were warned about it and told we could leave the room if we felt uncomfortable,” one student told the Guardian.
“I was not made aware that they would be reading the book verbatim in front of the class,” said a district parent. The parent went on to say, “The teacher didn’t even attempt to censor the N-word.”
The assignment and surfaced recording have caught the attention of the local NAACP chapter.
“I would like more information and wouldn’t mind talking with the Unioto Scioto Board of Education or the Superintendent to see what the criteria is for this book assignment and discussion, especially since the book takes place in a 1930’s setting that uses inflammatory words,” said local NAACP President Adrienne L. D’Souza.
“My question to the English teacher would be, ‘were the parents and the students forewarned about this book and the derogatory words in the book?’ …. if students complained and felt uncomfortable with the teacher reading and saying the word, why didn’t you stop? Without all the information concerning this assignment it’s hard to form an opinion but from the outside looking in, if I had a child in this classroom, I would definitely be disturbed and I would be in the Superintendent’s office asking some questions.”
Just this week, two Ohio Republican lawmakers introduced House Bill 616: a bill that is similar to the controversial so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law signed by Florida Governor Ron Desantis last month. The Ohio version of the bill adds the prohibition of curriculums and materials that are deemed “inherently racist.” Supporters of the bill say the bill is to “protect students and their education.”
Several schools across the country have banned the book due to its explicitly racist content, profanity, violence, and apparent pro-euthanasia message. Recently, a Minnesota High School was urged to ban the book after families and staff issued complaints about the racial slurs and stereotypes found in it.
EDITOR’S NOTE: In line with the Guardian’s ethics, we will use obscenities, vulgarities, or slurs only in direct quotations and only if the quote is essential to the story.