The principal of a well-known Manhattan school announced her retirement after a teacher caused a stir in the community by showing a pro-life video in her 5th-grade class. Principal Iris Chiu announced to a group of parents during a parent-teacher forum that her last day at PS 184, known as the Shuang Wen School, would be in August, Faithwire reports.
The controversy started in April when Ju Ling Wei showed a video of which featured teenagers staging a drama in which they pretended to be a baby in the womb during an abortion. According to Gothamist, the video was the work of a young group representing the First Assembly of God in Smithville, TN at an Assemblies of God fine arts festival.
Parents expressed their frustration and anger soon after. Liset Reyes, whose 10-year-old daughter was in the class, told the New York Daily News that, “I was really, really upset and angry and appalled. I was crying. We don’t even discuss the birds and the bees.”
Ishmael Alvarado was taken aback when his daughter asked him, “What’s abortion?” He added, “My kids still believe in Santa Claus. They’re still innocent.”
A student named Isabella told The New York Daily News that Wei asked the class “What do you think abortion is?” She said Wei then told the class that it was when the doctor gave the mother “a shot to kill the baby.
Principal Chiu sent a letter to parents two days after Wei showed the video to her second-period dance class. Chiu wrote, “We are writing to let you know that it has been reported that an unsuitable video was shown to a class in the past two days. We apologize for any confusion that may have caused you or your children.”
At the parent-teacher forum in which she announced her resignation, Chiu told parents that she would be returning to Taiwan to take care of her “ill and aging parents.”
Reyes told theNew York Daily News that she was glad to see Chiu leave the school, saying, “She was just not doing her job. Action was taken. I’m very, very happy with the outcome.” Alvarado agreed. He said, “I’m happy that the principal is gone.”
Some institutions in New York City have faced little or no pushback over teaching children about other controversial subjects. Some Manhattan public libraries have hosted Drag Queen Story Hour and a public school in Brooklyn also hosted a drag queen to teach children about gender.
Scott Slayton writes at “One Degree to Another.”
Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Skynesher
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