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LAUSD probe into Hobart teacher's removal expected to conclude before school resumes
Well-known Los Angeles Unified teacher Rafe Esquith speaks at a KPCC forum in 2013.
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KPCC
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Well-known Hobart Elementary School teacher Rafe Esquith speaks at a KPCC Crawford Family Forum event in 2013.
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KPCC
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Students from Rafe Esquith's Hobart Shakespeareans perform in this year's production The Tempest.
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Kurt Ingham
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Students perform during a production of the Tempest at LAUSD's Hobart Boulevard Elementary School.
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Kurt Ingham
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LAUSD probe into Hobart teacher's removal expected to conclude before school resumes
Los Angeles Unified is under fire for removing Rafe Esquith, a popular and well-known teacher, from his classroom at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School.
Los Angeles Unified School District is coming under fire for removing a nationally known teacher from his classroom at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School in Koreatown.
Teacher and author Rafe Esquith has appeared on Oprah and been featured in a PBS documentary. He's also been profiled in several KPCC events and stories , including a videotaped interview on his teaching philosophy .
District officials said Esquith was removed from the classroom in May, although some media including the Los Angeles Times report he has not been allowed to return to school since March. He's currently at home on paid leave.
According to media reports, Esquith's backers said he read students a passage from Huckleberry Finn that described a king prancing naked on all fours. The Washington Post said Esquith then joked that if fundraising efforts for Esquith's annual Shakespeare play failed, he guessed the class would perform naked as well, according to his attorney.
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CBS2, which first reported the story last week, quotes Esquith's attorney, high-profile criminal defense lawyer Mark Geragos, as saying that the teacher will sue if he does not get an apology and reinstatement.
Geragos told the Times the California Teacher Credentialing Committee had cleared his client of any wrongdoing stemming from the Mark Twain reading.
Esquith did not respond to requests for comment. Geragos has not returned calls for this story.
Superintendent Ramon Cortines suggested in a statement last week that there was more to the case than might be evident from first reports.
“This is a very complex issue. While I respect that this teacher is extremely popular – and has been for some time – in the briefings that have been given to me, there are serious issues that go beyond the initial investigation.
“The Los Angeles Unified School District will not be rushed to make a decision and will complete our investigation with the highest level of integrity. The safety and security of every District student will remain our number one priority.”
Monica Garcia, the school board member that oversees Esquith's school, was not available for comment.
Esquith is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestsellers “Real Talk for Real Teachers” and “Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56.”
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He has taught for over 30 years at Hobart Elementary and has been frequently quoted by teachers who have heard him speak.
His nonprofit Hobart Shakespeareans , a musical and theater production company made up of students in his classroom, has performed in numerous cities around the country.
Esquith has been critical of school bureaucracy, telling KPCC in 2013 that good teachers are an endangered species and that the system is “crushing” them.
He has called the Common Core learning standards an Orwellian approach to teaching math and English that doesn't address other factors that lead students to fail in school.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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