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Ohio Middle School Teacher Resigns After Racist Image Scandal

A photo of an orangutan eating a watermelon was shown after a historical fact about Black History Month.

A teacher at an Ohio middle school has resigned after a racist image was shown during morning announcements. The unnamed teacher, who taught at Bexley Middle School in the Columbus suburbs, was in charge of overseeing the announcements when a photo of an orangutan was shown eating a watermelon on a green screen directly after a slide with a historical fact honoring Black History Month. The teacher was initially put on administrative leave while Bexley City Schools investigated how the picture had made it into the slide show, but he subsequently resigned on his own as parents threatened to sue if he was not fired, the Columbus Dispatch reports. “The use of racist images in any context is unacceptable and goes against the values of inclusiveness and respect for all individuals that we take seriously,” Jason Fine, the superintendent of the district, said in a statement to parents.