A teacher at Gaskill Preparatory School, a public middle school, was fired following allegations that he made a racist joke about slavery to two eighth-grade students. The incident drew strong condemnation from the NAACP and concerned parents.

Dorothy Hall, the mother of one student, told WKBW-TV that her son is now afraid to return to school, fearing retaliation. She criticized the district for initially treating her complaint lightly, saying the teacher had only been suspended with pay before the firing.

The Niagara Falls branch of the NAACP released a statement condemning the alleged joke, calling it “a blatant violation of dignity and a direct assault on the humanity of African-American students.” The organization said such behavior inflicted racial degradation on children and undermined trust in the public school system.

Hall emphasized the need for accountability and justice for her son and the other student affected. “Nobody should have to deal with this, especially as a child,” she said.

The incident comes amid ongoing challenges for the district, which spends more than $19,000 per student annually but reports that only 28% of students are proficient in reading and 23% in math. Critics say the incident highlights deeper concerns about district oversight and classroom culture.

The school district has not released further details about the teacher or any additional disciplinary measures, but the firing has been widely publicized in local and civil rights circles.