For the mother of the 13-year-old black boy whose Cincinnati school teacher told him he "would be lynched" if he didn't behave in class, it was never just about seeking disciplinary action. After hearing of the teacher's suspension, Tanisha Agee-Bell said she "never wanted her fired." In a Facebook post, Agee-Bell explained that she had hoped the Mason City School would educate and address the situation in a more proactive way. “I want her trained properly. But just as important, I want the district to institute practices that give student(s) and families confidence in being heard, valued and respected, when they have been wronged.”
The inappropriate comment was initially made by history teacher Renee Thole in an attempt to get Agee-Bell's son Nathan back on task with the curriculum. Thole reportedly said if Nathan didn't come in with completed homework, his classmates were "going to be angry and then become a mob who will want to lynch you," according to Cinncinati.com.
The boy did not inform his mother of the incident immediately after it happened, because he feared he would get in trouble, but when the school was finally made aware of the incident, Agee-Bell felt it wasn't handled properly. "The district does not deal properly with issues related to student safety, student bullying, student discipline and teacher discipline." Agee-Bell was left wondering why it took national outcry for the school to react.
Thole is currently on an indefinite, administrative leave, reports the school superintendent Gail Kist-Kline, and has been required to take "cultural training." Kist-Kline has described the Mason school district as "ill-equipped" in regards to race issues.
While school district leaders further investigate the case surrounding Thole's unacceptable language, Agee-Bell is left to deal with the mental and emotional ramifications that this teacher has inflicted upon her son.
