Hornedo Middle School teacher on leave after controversial comments

EL PASO, Texas -- EPISD has placed a teacher on administrative leave after she was heard making controversial comments in student-recorded cell phone videos.

The videos recorded a conversation held in her class which discussed topics such as illegal immigration and Black Lives Matter. In an 8-minute recording that ABC-7 obtained, the teacher can be heard defending those who come to the United States for better opportunities, and says her parents are undocumented.

A student in the recordings can be heard being accused of calling illegal immigrants "rapists and criminals" by another student. This was eventually followed in the video by the teacher saying "[that]'s like me saying all white kids are school shooters."

ABC-7 spoke with spoke with a parent of one of the students who filmed the interaction, who said he said he was "sick to his stomach." He claims the teacher also profiled his hispanic daughter as white in the discussion.

“My daughter was race profiled as being white just because of her fair skin and her Caucasian last name, but she is, in fact, Hispanic" said parent James Schwitter. He added "looking at a child being told by an administrator and someone she trusts that she’s racist as the teacher says all white people are" is "very disgusting.”

ABC-7 showed this video to some other parents to see if they believe the discussion was appropriate for an 8th grade classroom.

"No, it's not appropriate" said Alejandra Lopez, who has a son that attends Hornedo Middle School.

Tracy Evans, who tutors two boys at the middle school, added "facts should be taught in the classroom. Not personal opinions."

Another parent who wished to stay off camera told us that while she thinks what the teacher said may have been wrong, she believes the kids at Hornedo Middle School are "out of control," and should have never been filming in the first place. Students are not allowed to have their phones on their person.

We reached out to the El Paso Teacher's Association, the union that the teacher is a member of for a comment. President Norma De La Rosa said "neither she nor I will have any additional comment while our union reviews the incident."

ABC-7 is choosing not to name the teacher while the EPISD investigates this matter.