[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      FIRING OF TENNESSEE TEACHER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 8, 2021

  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I was saddened when I read this morning 
about an incident concerning a teacher and a school board in East 
Tennessee. Matthew Hawn was fired for teaching about white privilege to 
his largely white classes of Contemporary Issues students in Sullivan 
Central High School in Kingsport, Tennessee. Mr. Hawn used both 
historical and contemporary examples, including the recent trial of 
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd. 
The General Assembly of Tennessee recently outlawed teachers from 
teaching critical race theory or ideas that any race is ``inherently 
privileged, racist, sexist or oppressive'' and backed the law with 
financial penalties. This sort of legislating is a throwback to an 
earlier period of intolerance and fear of history and science. Our 
state's reputation was stained in the 1920s by the prosecution of 
Dayton, Tennessee, schoolteacher John Scopes for teaching evolution. I 
had hoped those days were long behind us. I guess not. Confronting 
painful periods in our country's history--such as slavery, segregation, 
the Trail of Tears, women denied voting rights--will make our students 
more tolerant, aware and worldly. I am deeply troubled by what has 
happened to Mr. Hawn and I hope decision makers will restore him to his 
place in the classroom where he can challenge young minds with new 
ideas.

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