A white teacher in Texas resigned Wednesday after a student recorded him using the N-word during a discussion with his class about not being allowed to use such language, KHOU reports.
“I mean, if there’s a word that you’re not supposed to say, why are you saying it?,” a student can be heard asking Norman Grueneich, a theatre arts teacher at Klein Collins High School, in a recording on a smartphone hidden from view.
“I don’t know,” Grueneich said. “Why do the guys in my class go, you know, say, ‘man, ___ you crazy.’ Why do they say that? And why is it cause I’m a white guy, I can’t say that? I can’t say the n-word.”
The teacher also asked why there isn’t a month dedicated to the celebration of white history, saying, “Why don’t we have a white history month talking about what the Irish went through?” He continued, “Because we’re white, and it’s a white privilege, right? That’s what I’m saying.”
The Klein Independent School District issued a public apology Wednesday and confirmed that Grueneich no longer works at the school.
“In Klein ISD, we pride ourselves on our ability to create safe spaces for every child in our schools,” the school district said in a statement. “This former employee failed to do that and is no longer employed in Klein ISD.”
His departure comes days after parents of the students brought the video’s existence to the attention of the school. An investigation into his actions are underway.
