Schools
Daughter Of Jersey City Teacher Apologizes For Father's Rant
Howard Zlotkin, a Dickinson High School teacher, went on two vulgar rants aimed at students in class about Black Lives Matter.
JERSEY CITY, NJ — The daughter of a Jersey City high school teacher is apologizing to her father's students after he went on a vulgar and racist rant during a Zoom class and singled out Black students.
Howard Zlotkin, a science teacher at Dickinson High School, is seen cursing at students in a video obtained by NBC News, when a discussion about climate change devolved into his views on Black Lives Matter and George Floyd — the rant was riddled with expletives aimed at the students.
Zlotkin's daughter, Aliya Jackson, 32, wrote an open letter to his students, apologizing for his behavior.
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The letter, according to NJ.com, reads in part:
“I can only imagine how it must have felt to have an authority figure, someone who is supposed to understand and guide you, instead judge and mistreat you,”
“It’s simply an immutable fact: you matter, your experience is valuable, and your ideas are important. You are already great. If you don’t believe me, you’ll see what I mean in time; your greatness, in all its forms, will unfold before your eyes.”
During Zlotkin's rant he is heard saying "If you think I'm privileged then f--- you, because my daughter thinks I'm privileged and I don't speak to her." Soon after, Zlotkin gave students the middle finger.
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Timmia Williams, the 17-year-old senior who was the target of part of the rant, told NBC News that Zlotkin singled out four Black students and asked for an essay from them on the topic.
Zlotkin, who has been a teacher at Dickinson for 20 years, has been suspended from teaching with pay and Jersey City Public Schools Superintendent Franklin Walker said the district is investigating the incident. Walker called the rant "inappropriate and unacceptable."
Zlotkin was also an adjunct professor at Hudson County Community College but has been suspended with pay.
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