At Eastern Florida State College's Cocoa campus on March 9, a Government class canceled a planned lesson on civil rights because one student said they were uncomfortable.
Students such as 15-year-old Jacob Dailey, who is dually enrolled, arrived in class just as the professor announced class would be canceled.
“The topic was civil rights, no specific bit of it, just in general. As far as I’m aware,” Dailey said. “So the teacher basically had to cancel this class of about 20 students in total because of the student’s discomfort.”
According to WESH 2, he was disappointed that he had to miss the class for a required topic that was on the class schedule. “I think that there could have been a better method of handling it, but the teacher’s concerns were valid I’d say,” Dailey said.
Matt Dailey, Jacob's father and a teacher at Cocoa High School, said that although he's heard good things about the teacher Josh Humphries, he questioned Humphries' decision to cancel the class. “If I have a student who is uncomfortable, I usually have backup assignments. ‘Hey, go to the library.’”
Several local and state politicians have been invited to speak in the teacher's class, according to the college leadership.
According to WESH 2, Eastern Florida State College associate vice president John J. Glisch said: “Mr. Humphries is an excellent educator who regularly receives high grades in student satisfaction surveys. To avoid a disruptive situation, Mr. Humphries decided to cancel class early in what he believed was a prudent move. He is working with his supervisors on alternative ways to handle such potential problems to ensure future classes can continue.”
There is no word yet on when and how the lessons will continue.
Why would a lesson on civil rights make someone uncomfortable? And what does it say about Josh Humphries as an educator to cancel the lesson entirely spare the student of his misplaced discomfort?
Source: WESH