Several Channelview ISD teachers are facing discipline after handing out a joke award to the student “most likely to become a terrorist.” While Lizeth Villanueva, the seventh grader in question, told the media it was just a joke by the teachers, she stressed that she and her mother were in no way impressed or amused by the fake award.
Mock awards ceremony held at Texas junior high school
The mock awards ceremony was held on Tuesday this week at the Anthony Aguirre Junior High School, where according to Lizeth the teacher who signed her certificate, also handed out certificates to other students at the school, while the other teachers looked on and laughed.
This was the day after the Manchester Arena terror attack took the lives of many young people, including children.
Lizeth told KHOU the teacher in question had said some people might be offended about the awards certificate, but that she doesn’t care about their feelings, in fact she says the teacher in question was laughing the whole time.
Student’s mother says her daughter has no discipline problems at school
Lizeth’s mother, Ena Hernandez did not find the award certificate in any way funny, saying she read it twice, not believing what she was seeing. According to Hernandez, Lizeth has never had any discipline problems at school and is in an advanced academic program. Hernandez added that with everything that is happening right now, receiving a certificate like this, even in jest, does not look good – especially when it comes from a teacher at the school.
Principal of Texas school apologizes for fake awards ceremony
During a meeting at the school, the principal of Anthony Aguirre Junior High personally apologized for the fake award ceremony by teachers at the school. While the school district did not confirm the names of the teachers involved, as this is a personnel matter, a spokesperson for the school said those involved in the mock awards ceremony are facing disciplinary measures under the school’s policy.
School district apologizes for offensive mock awards ceremony
Channelview ISD said in a statement that they apologize for the offensive and insensitive mock awards given to students of the school. The statement went on to assure students, their parents and community members that the statements made on the fake awards do not represent the school district’s mission, vision or educational goals for students.
As noted by the New York Daily News, Lizeth said she hasn’t been back to class since she received the “most likely to become a terrorist” award, saying at the least, she would like to see the teachers involved in the fake awards ceremony get fired.
