(Updated 5/12/2015) A middle school in Texas has drawn criticism for awards two teachers handed out to students.
Two teachers at Sulphur Springs Middle School in Sulphur Springs, Texas gave out “ghetto awards” to their eighth-grade special education class. In fact, the awards were something of a tradition; this latest round was the Eighth Annual Ghetto Awards. School administrators said one of the teachers appears to have carried them over from a previous place of employment.
The awards came to light after several students’ parents posted them on social media.
The exact criteria for which a student earned a “Ghetto Award” has not been made clear; according to Dallas-Fort Worth Fox affiliate KDFW, one of the teachers claimed they were not meant as a racial slur.
One award posted on social media was labelled “The Huh? Award,” and was given to a student for saying “huh?” often during class, the television station reported.
Debra Jose’s grandson was a recipient of one of the award.
“Tears just started falling out of my eyes,” Jose told CBS Dallas affiliate KTVT. “I was like, what did they just do to him again? I just lay in bed and thought about it all night long. I couldn’t sleep very good. You want the best for children, not just my grandchild, but every child.”
“It is not something is proud of,” Sulphur Springs Superintendent Michael Lamb told the television station. “It is not acceptable. It is not anything we want to be a part of… and we are addressing it today.”