‘Disgusting and Hurtful’: Florida Teacher Allegedly Tells Middle School Students Joke Comparing Black Men to Animals; District Disputes Claim As Educator Remains On Staff

A Florida teacher is accused of joining a group of middle schoolers as they were making racist jokes and chiming into the banter with her own inappropriate jape, according to one family’s complaint. Amiah Foster told NBC2 that the incident happened last month at DeSoto Middle School in Arcadia, Florida. The 11-year-old recounted the moment her teacher, Taylor Wiley, told the “joke” to her students. Amiah Foster says her teacher made a racist joke at DeSoto Middle School. (Photo: YouTube screenshot/NBC2 News) “And Miss Wiley goes, ‘Hey, y’all wanna hear a dark humor joke? What’s the difference between a Black man and an animal? An animal is there for its family.'” the sixth grader told the outlet. “She starts laughing. Like not a small chuckle, like laughing.” Amiah told the school about what happened, and the DeSoto County School District confirmed that officials had launched an investigation into the allegations. “Our internal investigation is ongoing in order to thoroughly understand the facts surrounding the situation. During this process, we are following our established policies to ensure a fair and impartial review. To maintain the integrity of the investigation, and to respect the privacy of those involved, we cannot provide details...