English teacher in South Carolina returns to work following controversy over her curriculum on race

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An English teacher at Chapin High School was reprimanded for assigning her students to read Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, which discusses racial disparities. Following national attention and controversy, the teacher returned in the fall semester to teach. 

Key Players

Mary Wood teaches Advanced Placement English Language and Composition at Chapin High School (CHS) in South Carolina, which lies about 25 miles northwest of Columbia, the state capital. Wood is originally from Chapin and attended CHS. 

Elizabeth Barnhardt serves on the school board for the district encompassing Chapin. In 2022, her campaign for a seat on city council was endorsed by Moms for Liberty, a conservative organization that advocates against LGBTQ+ and race-related themes in school curricula.  

Further Details

In the past, Wood had taught Between the World and Me without complaint, and the book had been approved by her supervisor. But in February 2023, four days after Wood assigned the book, a student in her class emailed Barnhardt, according to records obtained by The Washington Post. 

“I understand in AP Lang we are learning to develop an argument and have evidence to support it, yet this topic is too heavy to discuss,” the student wrote to Barnhardt. “I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian.”

Another student followed suit. “I feel, to an extent, betrayed by Mrs Woods,” they wrote. “I feel like she has built up this idea of expanding our mind through the introduction of controversial topics all year just to try to subtly indoctrinate our class.” 

Both students complained that the reading and two related videos about systemic racism, played during class, made them feel ashamed of being white; they equated reading Coates’s book to “reading hate propaganda towards white people.” 

Their emails were sent on a Sunday. The next day, the assistant principal of instruction and the director of secondary instruction met with Wood and told her to stop teaching the book. Wood also received a formal letter of reprimand in her file, and was given two days off to create a new lesson plan. 

Wood complied with their requests and collected the classroom books from her students, but took issue with what had occurred. “Taking the word of a couple of students over the professional integrity of a seasoned educator is damaging to the relationship between all parties involved,” Wood told the principal and superintendent via email. 

Outcome

Parents condemn Wood

Afterward, Wood became the subject of both local and national debate, with some calling for her to be removed from her position. 

School board comments became highly critical of Wood. Several Republican state representatives attended the board’s June 26 meeting to speak out against her — including state Rep. Robert Jay May (R), who chairs the conservative SC Freedom Caucus, which has been militant in condemning school content perceived as critical race theory. 

Notably, in July, the executive committee of the county GOP voted to censure school board chair Rebecca Blackburn-Hines over the controversy. In a statement, the county GOP claimed she had ​​“failed to attempt to enact policy or attempt to enact disciplinary actions” against Wood.  

Blackburn-Hines responded that the board did not act in a disciplinary capacity against district employees, and that she had asked that possible revisions to its policies on outside materials be brought forward. 

Wood wrote in a letter that the school’s response to the incident “undermined my classroom integrity and has affected my personal life.” She said she was fearful that anything she may say or assign could be reported by students. Wood told The State newspaper that she feels the government regulation of curriculum may cause teachers to leave their jobs. 

Wood returns to teaching

In September 2023, Wood apprehensively returned to teaching after a summer of criticism. But despite the backlash, she received support from organizations like the NAACP and ACLU, other teachers, and from Coates himself.  

Wood noted that as she started the new school year, some students asked to be taken out of her class for unknown reasons. A few other teachers, she said, had ignored her greetings. 

As of Oct. 6, 2023, there were no further developments.