"Lincoln was a n***er-lover": Middle school teacher accused of horrific classroom tirades

A California family has filed a lawsuit with the Los Angeles Unified School District

Published March 20, 2015 4:55PM (EDT)

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A California family has filed a lawsuit with the Los Angeles Unified School District in response to a teacher's repeated racist remarks directed at their daughter (who is mixed-race) and another black student at Paul Revere Charter Middle School and Magnet Center.

According to the lawsuit, the teacher, Steven Carmine, said that Michael Brown was "a thug and got what he deserved." He also said "black people are judged for not being smart because they are not smart. A lot of them are just athletes."

He also said that if he encountered two black men at night he would be "scared and think they are either going to steal from me or hurt me," and that "we all know Jews like to hoard their money."

He also distributed a questionnaire about racial stereotypes on Martin Luther King Day and, during a lecture on the Civil War said that "people didn't like Lincoln because he was a n****r lover." The lawsuit specifies that the teacher was staring at the students of color while he spoke.

When a parent complained to the principal, he was allegedly told that Carmine was "old school" and the parent should bring up his issue with the teacher face-to-face. The assistant principal Thomas Iannucci said he would look into the comments, but that "there is no need to go to the press."

A local CBS affiliate reports:

The girl now fears for her safety at school. The family says Iannucci has not told the student or her family what occurred during the investigation into Carnine's alleged remarks, according to the lawsuit, which says she has been "subjected to glares and hostile stares" from Carnine and Iannucci.

"Plaintiff has also suffered from sleep problems and anxiety since these incidents arose," the suit states.

The lawsuit officially accuses the school district of violating the student's civil rights and seeks a court order to force the school to enforce anti-discrimination measures.


By Joanna Rothkopf

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Lawsuits Los Angeles Michael Brown Racism School Teacher