New York school district issues apology for ‘racist’ middle school Spanish worksheet

Williamsville Central School District has apologized publicly for two questions on a middle school Spanish assignment that appeared racist and drew backlash from parents of the students at the school.

Mill Middle School sixth graders were given a Spanish assignment in which they were to translate simple Spanish sentences into English. One of the Spanish sentences the student had to translate read, “You (friendly) are Mexican and ugly.” Another sentence further down the same worksheet read, “You (politely) are pretty and American.”

Parents in the school district immediately took to social media to express their disappointment over what they called “blatant racism.”

Middle school parent Allison Wainick Tweeted about the worksheet, “Can we even begin to unpack all that is wrong here? Who is developing this curriculum & where is the oversight?”

In a statement posted to their Facebook page, the school district said the assignment was “unacceptable.” The statement continues, “We are addressing the situation to ensure this does not happen again. The District does not condone any instructional material that denigrates our students, families, culture, or beliefs. This assignment fails to meet our standard and will be dealt with appropriately.”