In an 18-second clip, the Franklin Middle School teacher can be heard telling students to “stop calling them that. You’re not allowed to call people that.” “We won’t call them that,” the teacher can be heard saying in the video. “We’ll call them MAPs, minors attracted. So don’t judge people just because they want to have sex with a 5-year-old.” The teacher was identified by the El Paso Teachers Association as Amber Parker, who teaches English at Franklin High School. NBC News reached out to Parker, who said she was “not legally permitted to comment at this time.” Requests for comment from Franklin High School were not immediately returned. It’s unclear what happened before the 18-second video or what the context of the exchange was. The El Paso Independent School District declined to answer questions about what led to the classroom discussion. The school district was made aware of the incident early last week and immediately launched an investigation, spokeswoman Liza Rodriguez said Friday. “After a thorough investigation conducted, on September 6, 2022, during a special board meeting, the Board approved a resolution to notify a Franklin High School teacher of the proposed layoff,” he said. “Any allegation of potential misconduct is thoroughly investigated and the safety of our students is a top priority.” The school district did not release the findings of its investigation or any other information, saying the incident is a “personnel matter.” The board voted unanimously to initiate termination proceedings against the teacher, with the next step being “an appeal process governed by the Texas Education Code,” said Al Velarde, board president. The teacher is now on paid administrative leave pending termination, according to Rodriguez. The story continues Before Tuesday’s vote, board Vice President Daniel Kohl said the classroom exchange was out of context. However, Call said he changed his mind after being informed of the school district’s findings following their investigation Tuesday. “At first I was shocked and horrified when I saw the video,” he told NBC News. “Then when I heard she was trying to be sarcastic, I felt bad for her. However, when the district’s investigation into this situation helped me understand the full story, I have no doubt that terminating this teacher is the right thing to do. Any reasonable person listening to the results of the investigation would vote to withdraw it.” Call did not share the details of the investigation that led him to change his mind about the incident. El Paso Teachers Association President Norma De La Rosa said she has been advised by the union’s legal staff not to comment on the incident at this time. “I will be more than happy to comment once the teacher has had an opportunity to appeal and that process is complete,” he told NBC News. “I’m sure I’ll have plenty to comment on by then.” This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
