Katherine Watkins is an Oregon middle school teacher and was exposed by parents by labeling her colleagues “p*dophiles” and saying that they would be fired if they refused to teach the critical race theory.
Watkins teaches 8th grade humanities at Cedar Park Middle School that is located in Beaverton, Portland. She tells colleagues over a Zoom “equity conference” that they would lose their job if they keep up with their “old views of colonialism”.
She also labeled teachers who do “racist things” as p*dophiles as well during a statement that her peers had to listen to during the Zoom meeting.
In her speech she says, “If you’re not evolving into an anti-racist educator you’re making yourself obsolete in this field of profession.point 375 |
Our district is only getting browner and browner with our children and so obviously you can’t change your melanin alright? But you can change your mind, so that you can actually function in a district that is full of BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) children.point 230 |
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“So if you’re being resistant I understand that, but you’re going to have to eventually come to the light. Because if you’re going to keep with those old views of colonialism it’s going to lead to being fired because you’re going to be doing damage to our children, trauma. And so, as we fire the teachers who sexually abuse our children, we will be firing the teachers who do racist things to our children and traumatize them.”
In light of her speech, the Beaverton school distract had revealed that the summit had cost $5,500 to organize and had been required for all licensed staff. The private Zoom meeting had gone public and had been shared through Twitter.
Watkins’ Linkedin profile reveals that she had graduated from the University of Idaho in 1998 with a Bachelor’s degree in English. She started working for the Beaverton School District back in August 2004.
James Lindsay had responded back to the video, saying that it is a “perfect example of why we need to start taking back education from these so-called “anti-racist” racists and manipulators who are abusing our kids to push their political agenda.”
Another person comments that “this kind of mind virus is highly contagious and deadly. The best known remedy is to get your kids out of government schools immediately.”
Many users on Twitter have responded to the video, with Greg Bates stating that is it “wrong” for “IDIOTS” like Watkins to be teaching. People have also commented that Watkins does not speak for the whole district.