Racial Image In Homework Draws Outrage

Parents of a Doylestown middle school student are outraged over what they found in their son's homework.

An anti-Black caricature - with the caption "No Wai!" - was on the cover of a lesson plan handed out in teacher Matthew Curran's 8th grade math class at Lenape Middle School.

Fox 29's Nefertiti Jaquez reports, parents, lawyers, and school officials met behind closed doors Tuesday morning to discuss the controversy.

John Jordan, President of the Bucks County NAACP, says the parents of the only African-American in the class expressed "anger, rage, disappointment" to the Central Bucks School District, the NAACP and now, attorney Ersula Cosby.

"The teacher went through a lot of trouble to find this offensive image," believes Cosby.

After several requests from Fox 29 to school officials and the teacher for comment, we received a statement from the district which quotes Curran. It explains in part, "I was looking for an image for a math worksheet...I chose it because it said 'no way' which is a comment my students make..."

The statement went on to apologize to any students who were offended and the community.

"The image has no place at all in public schools. It has no place in any schools," says Jordan. "In my opinion, an apology is nothing more than you're sorry you got caught."

"I actually followed what the teacher says he did," tells Cosby.

Dozens of different images pop up when you google 'multiply' and 'divide' as well as for the phrase 'No Wai!'

The parents are not talking on camera because they say they are concerned for the safety of their child.

One student allegedly asked the child if the man in the image was his father, but other students in class were offended.

"To stand up and say something to the teacher, that really shows that they have a lot of character and they know what's right," says Cosby.