At Fieldston School, Division Over the Dismissal of a Popular but Polarizing Teacher
There are perhaps few schools in the nation with as progressive a pedigree as Ethical Culture Fieldston School, where students are not only expected to live the values of tolerance and inclusion, but also to make the world more tolerant and inclusive. Half those in the school’s kindergarten classes this year are minority students, with Fieldston leading a push for diversity among New York’s elite private schools. The new head of school, Damian Fernandez, an openly gay Latino, began the year promising a deeper commitment to the school’s liberal roots in ethical learning.
So when a popular but controversial history teacher made remarks to his ninth-grade students last month that some perceived to be racist, Dr. Fernandez quickly moved to fire him, saying in a Sept. 16 letter to parents, faculty members and students that “everyone should be treated with respect, dignity and compassion.”
But the ouster has riven the Fieldston community and revived debates over sensitivity and boundaries in an era of South Park humor....