A California high school teacher is under fire for making “slant-eyed” gestures during a Zoom class to explain anti-Asian stereotypes.
Nicole Burkett, a Spanish teacher and student adviser at Sacramento’s Grant Union High School, has been placed under investigation after a video emerged of her using the disparaging gestures during an online class, according to local reports.
“If your eyes go up, you’re Chinese. If they go down, they’re Japanese. If they’re just straight, you don’t know,” Burkett told students as she stretched the corners of her own eyes up and down.
The teacher was reportedly trying to explain the racist playground chant “Chinese, Japanese, dirty knees,” which she said was commonly used in the 80s to mock children of Asian origin.
“I should leave your class right now!” one student is heard saying at the end of the clip.
School officials swiftly condemned Burkett’s behavior and said an internal investigation was underway.
“The video is shocking and disappointing and does not represent the values held by Twin Rivers and the community,” Grant Union Principal Darris Hinson said in a statement issued to the Sacramento Bee.
“Please know that Twin Rivers is committed to providing all students with a safe and civil learning environment in which all members of the school community are treated with dignity and respect.”
As the video went viral, some students voiced support for Burkett, claiming that the gesture had been taken out of context, ABC10 reported.
But the teacher herself posted about receiving death threats on her personal Instagram page, the outlet said.
A Change.org petition demanding a formal public apology and 200 hours community service from Burkett had acquired almost 7,000 signatures as of Wednesday morning.
Burkett, who joined the district in 2017, is yet to comment publicly on the scandal despite being approached by several media outlets.
“I have been advised to not make any statements until my union representative gets back to me,” she told the Sacramento Bee.
Burkett’s bio on the school website lists that she is an adviser for Lao Xang Noy and KPOP, Korean pop music clubs.
“I love teaching and supporting all students at Grant,” her bio notes.
The furore comes amid a rise in attacks against Asian victims in California and other parts of the country since the start of the pandemic.