KTLA

Riverside teacher recorded mocking Native Americans in faux headdress is fired

Denise Maupin and other community members protest outside John W. North High School in Riverside on Oct. 21 after a viral video showed a math teacher wearing a faux headdress and mimicking Native Americans during class.(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

A Riverside high school teacher who was recorded mocking Native Americans by wearing a faux headdress and chanting during a math lesson in October was fired last week after months of protest, Native American advocates said.

Community members representing local tribes and some from out of state spoke at last week’s Riverside school board meeting and cheered when the board announced that an unnamed employee had been fired after a 4-1 vote in closed session. Riverside Unified School District officials would not confirm the identity of the fired teacher.


The teacher has the right to a hearing in front of a state commission and may appeal the decision, which could take up to three years, said district spokesperson Diana Meza.

The district had previously said the teacher at John W. North High School was placed on leave while it investigated the incident.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.