KIPP Poder Academy teacher has seventh grade students play role-play game that includes a “seducing hooker”; school issues apology over five months later

Fox News reported that a teacher of a seventh grade class at the charter school KIPP Poder Academy in Texas had students play a game called “Bear-Hunter-Hooker.” Fox News explained that the event occurred on September 2, 2022, in a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) class. Fox News reported:

The seventh-grade students were asked to strike a pose in front of class as a “seducing hooker” with one hand on their hip and another behind their ear, a hunter, pointing an imaginary gun and a scary bear with its paws up. The object of the game is to show control over the pose struck by their peer.

Fox News added that “students in one of the classes were motivated to participate with the promise of candy.” The school “admitted the game occurred as described” in grievance process paperwork. However, Fox News explained that the school’s administration “denied the game sexualized children.” An administrator responded to a parent’s complaint and said the teacher was “reprimanded.” There have also been “measurements [put] in place to remediate and prevent future misconduct of our teachers.”

Fox News continued to report that “parents did not know about the incident for five-and-a-half-months after [the parent] had gone through all the levels of the grievance process and spoke with the KIPP Texas Public Schools Board.” The parent spoke with KIPP’s board on January 18, 2023. Fox News added:

The board approved a motion to hire a child abuse nonprofit to come in and teach kids and address their trauma on February 6. They also solidified reforms to the board as well as the grievance process. The teacher in question was not fired but the school said she would be retrained.

On February 16, 2023, the board approved an apology letter from the principal sent to parents regarding the incident. Parents were told in the letter that the game “should never have a place in our schools” and that the game was “degrading.” The principal apologized “for not communicating sooner.” The principal’s apology came more than five months after the game occurred.