An English assignment for a class at W.T. White High School in Dallas, Texas is now under investigation after Kyle Rittenhouse, the Kenosha shooter who fatally shot two protesters, was listed as a “hero.”
The assignment, which was labeled “Hero for the Modern Age,” asked for the students to write a half-page biography on several people including Mahatma Gandhi, César Chávez, Malcolm X, George Floyd, Rittenhouse and one of his alleged victims, Joseph D. Rosenbaum.
“My brother was really in disbelief that this was actually an assignment,” Kristian Hernandez told KXAS. Her younger brother, who attends the high school, shared the details of the assignment with his family.
“The juxtaposition of George Floyd’s name with Kyle’s name was just astounding,” she said. “The value of Black lives are not up for debate, and that’s what it felt like this was sort of getting at — by way of the names that were included.”
According to the outlet, the Dallas Independent School District issued an apology for the “unapproved assignment” and removed it from their online portal. They told the students that they did not have to complete the work.
“An unapproved assignment posted in Google Classroom yesterday has been brought to our attention,” the statement read. “Understandably, this caused some concern for the impacted students, and we apologize. Campus administration immediately removed the unapproved content and students are not required to complete that assignment. Due to personnel policies, we are not able to comment further, however, the appropriate steps are being followed pending investigation.”
The district has not released the name of the teacher who posted the assignment. “Racial equity is a top priority in Dallas ISD, and we remain committed to providing a robust teaching environment where all students can learn,” the statement continued. “It is important that we continue to be culturally sensitive to our diverse populations and provide a space of respect and value.”
Check out a screenshot of the class assignment below.
CBS11