Pflugerville ISD middle school teacher fired after 'inappropriate conversation'

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - A Pflugerville Independent School District teacher is no longer employed by the district after a video surfaced of him describing himself as "ethnocentric". 

The teacher still has not been officially identified, but he was a teacher at Bohls Middle School. 

The teacher was initially placed on administrative leave after video posted on social media showed the teacher, who is white, saying at one point that he believes his race is superior to others. 

The comments were made in a classroom with students.

In a statement released on November 14, Pflugerville ISD Superintendent Dr. Douglas Killian said that the teacher "is no longer employed" by the district and that the district "is actively looking for a replacement."

Dr. Killian acknowledged that the incident "has prompted local and national media attention" and issued an apology to "any parents whose students have been included in the video without their knowledge."

The full statement from Dr. Killian is below:

Last Friday, Nov. 11, Pflugerville ISD officials were made aware of an inappropriate conversation a teacher at Bohls Middle School had with students during an advisory class. As of Monday morning, Nov. 14, the teacher in question is no longer employed by Pflugerville ISD and we are actively looking for a replacement.

In addition to providing this video to our administrators, the video was shared on social media by some in the class and has prompted local and national media attention. We apologize to any parents whose students have been included in the video without their knowledge.

We want to reiterate that this conversation does not align with our core beliefs and is not a reflection of our district or our culture at Bohls Middle School. Pflugerville ISD and Bohls MS staff work together to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our students. The advisory discussion was inappropriate, inaccurate, and unacceptable; and this type of interaction will not be tolerated in any PfISD schools.

We apologize to our students and families at Bohls Middle School for the undue stress or concern this has caused. We have counselors and administrators available for any of our students and families who want to discuss this situation further.

We always do our best to ensure the safety of all students; we encourage them to be self-advocates and let an adult know when something is wrong, as they did in this situation. If you see something, say something.

As always, we appreciate the support of our Bohls Middle School families and entire PfISD community.

Initial statement released on incident

When the incident first came to light on November 11, Dr. Killian released the following statement:

We are aware of an inappropriate conversation a teacher at Bohls Middle School had with students this week during an advisory class. This interaction does not align with our core beliefs as a district. The video of the conversation includes statements that we find wholly inappropriate. The teacher has been placed on administrative leave while Human Resources conducts an investigation.

Pflugerville ISD and Bohls MS work together to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for our students. The advisory activity was inappropriate, inaccurate, and unacceptable. This type of interaction will not be tolerated in PfISD schools.

Staff checked in with students today. Our counselors and administrators are always available if your student wants to discuss this situation further.

We always do our best to ensure the safety of all students; we encourage them to be self-advocates and let an adult know when something is wrong, as they did in this situation; this could be to a parent, a teacher, or a counselor. If you see something, say something.

We apologize for any undue stress or concern this has caused. As always, we appreciate the support of our families and community.