HAMDEN - Thursday at West Woods School, the parents of a fifth grade student, who was cast as a slave in a play, were joined by the NAACP and other parents in a meeting with school officials seeking answers about the play.
Hamden Public Schools officials say that late last week, several days after a fifth grade teacher cast students in a play about the transatlantic slave trade, that the teacher used instructional resources that had not been approved.
“The scene starts with nameless slaves one and two getting pushed toward the ship,” said Carmen Parker, whose daughter was one of two students of color cast as slaves. “A child is enacting the slave owner. The slave owners is instructed to crack a whip at our children and to make sure they were scared.”
The Parkers say their daughter has been bullied since word got out that they complained about her role as a slave.
“She was crying,” said Josh Parker, of his daughter. “She was upset because a couple of kids came to her and said you got Miss Grabarz fired. You did this. And that’s not the case.”
Raechel Grabarz is the 5th grade social studies teacher, whose intent was to use the play to teach the history of slavery, has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
“The teacher under suspension, who brought this play forward, was asking, begging for material to teach her kids,” said Lauren Garrett, another West Woods School parent.
Garrett says, because of problems with the Internet the school had, the teacher didn’t have access to her regular curriculum.
“You do not do slavery reenactments,” said another Hamden Parent, David Canton. “You do not do blackface. There’s ways to teach slavery that’s critical, that’s empathetic and what people can learn.
He is an Associate Professor of History at Connecticut College, who has been asked by the Hamden school system to share his insight on the subject.
“We are going to sit down and look at the curriculum,” he said. “I’m also part of the statewide measure to include more African-American/Lactinex history. So there’s an effort.”
Friday the Parker’s will be part of a meeting at the Board of Education office, from 3:30 until 5:30. Prior to that meeting, they hope to meet with the fifth grade teacher, who has been placed on the leave. they say she has been a very good teacher for their daughter up until this point.