Teh One Who Knocks
08-28-2023, 11:47 AM
By Hannah Grossman | Fox News
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A Colorado public school diversity teacher said in private emails that she was struggling with the urge not to "burn things down" which didn't represent equity, according to records reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Casey Menninger is a diversity teacher in Jefferson County Public School District's Foster K-8 school. Menninger was involved in crafting the curriculum for other teachers to present to their classes.
Menninger wanted classes to be focused on bad things done by White people.
"I will have a quick presentation for 8th grade in the next couple weeks… I just want them to work on some of the communication skills and understand some terrible things White people did," he said in an email dated January 2022.
His emails, obtained by a public record request, showed that staff were not completely on board with his equity class, and they were "talking trash" about him.
"The meetings are very difficult," he said in an email to dated August 2021. I am trying to impact change in a positive way, but it is very hard to not want to burn things down that I don't find equitable."
He then blasted staff for not having an "equity lens."
"I am learning a lot of restraint. I don't think anyone else on the team has that equity lens, so it is challenging to impact change where they don't see a need. I am also trying to learn how to respond to emotional outbursts from adults. It is difficult. I don't like it."
"I am struggling with not-so-subtle shots at me," he said. "I have heard people talking trash about me multiple times already."
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The email was addressed to Nicole Head, who was also involved in working on the mandatory DEI class.
"You may not always love the content… yet you are asked to represent the class as their teacher anyway. I imagine many (or all) of you have held back on giving me feedback for fear of offending me or sounding judgmental," Head said.
"I have also chosen to hold back on feedback. I often felt either unsupported or completely out of touch with how this class was going for your students," she continued.
"Now, we've arrived at conflict's door. I'm hoping against hope that we can use this as an opportunity to grow stronger as a team instead of becoming divided. I'm hoping we can use it to practice healthy, productive conflict instead of drowning in feelings of being misunderstood or underappreciated. I feel strongly that the missing link is an assumption of positive intent. I am willing to do the work, and receive the feedback from you, that it would take to get there."
The district and Menninger did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
https://i.imgur.com/sqSwS7o.png
A Colorado public school diversity teacher said in private emails that she was struggling with the urge not to "burn things down" which didn't represent equity, according to records reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Casey Menninger is a diversity teacher in Jefferson County Public School District's Foster K-8 school. Menninger was involved in crafting the curriculum for other teachers to present to their classes.
Menninger wanted classes to be focused on bad things done by White people.
"I will have a quick presentation for 8th grade in the next couple weeks… I just want them to work on some of the communication skills and understand some terrible things White people did," he said in an email dated January 2022.
His emails, obtained by a public record request, showed that staff were not completely on board with his equity class, and they were "talking trash" about him.
"The meetings are very difficult," he said in an email to dated August 2021. I am trying to impact change in a positive way, but it is very hard to not want to burn things down that I don't find equitable."
He then blasted staff for not having an "equity lens."
"I am learning a lot of restraint. I don't think anyone else on the team has that equity lens, so it is challenging to impact change where they don't see a need. I am also trying to learn how to respond to emotional outbursts from adults. It is difficult. I don't like it."
"I am struggling with not-so-subtle shots at me," he said. "I have heard people talking trash about me multiple times already."
https://i.imgur.com/Jw0ahwp.png
https://i.imgur.com/RcSGiYd.png
The email was addressed to Nicole Head, who was also involved in working on the mandatory DEI class.
"You may not always love the content… yet you are asked to represent the class as their teacher anyway. I imagine many (or all) of you have held back on giving me feedback for fear of offending me or sounding judgmental," Head said.
"I have also chosen to hold back on feedback. I often felt either unsupported or completely out of touch with how this class was going for your students," she continued.
"Now, we've arrived at conflict's door. I'm hoping against hope that we can use this as an opportunity to grow stronger as a team instead of becoming divided. I'm hoping we can use it to practice healthy, productive conflict instead of drowning in feelings of being misunderstood or underappreciated. I feel strongly that the missing link is an assumption of positive intent. I am willing to do the work, and receive the feedback from you, that it would take to get there."
The district and Menninger did not immediately respond to a request for comment.