A school meeting meant to be about inclusion and diversity turned into a big argument after a father told another parent to “stay in Mexico” after he complained that his son was coming home crying due to the racism he faced in school.
According to MLive.com, Saline, Michigan resident Adrian Iraola was bringing up the issue of racism during a Saline Area Schools meeting when another parent, Tom Burtell, told him to “stay in Mexico.”
“I went to his bedroom to say good night and he was crying because of the abuse that he was enduring in this school system,” Iraola explained. “Those experiences leave a deep mark in their memories and they part of who you are.”
That’s when Burtell interjected and said, “Then why didn’t you stay in Mexico?”
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The comment drew immediate backlash as the other parents lashed out at Burtell. One woman told Burtell that “you need to leave,” while another called his comments about Iraola “disgusting.”
During the meeting, Burtell also complained about discrimination being faced by white people.
“You think that … whites are the oppressors,” he said. “Here’s the evidence. You’ve got black racism all the time… try to be white and walk in a black neighborhood and see what happens.”
Take a look at the altercation in the video clip below:
