A Georgia educator is in hot water after telling her students that Breonna Taylor is responsible for her own death by “hanging out with bad people.”
TMZ reports that Susan McCoy, a forensic science teacher for Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Georgia, made the comments during a virtual learning session.
“I’m sorry she was killed, but you know, when you hang out with people with guns that shoot at cops, you’re likely to get caught in the crossfire,” McCoy said.
She is clearly not familiar with Taylor’s case and accuses Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, of being a criminal. She tells the students that Taylor was “hanging out with the guy who was wanted on charges … they knocked, and he fired at them, and they fired back.”
Walker was not the target of the police investigation and was not the party on the warrant that brought officers to Taylor’s apartment. Walker fired in self-defense, believing the home was being broken into after officers failed to identify themselves before bursting into the apartment. When police returned fire, Taylor was fatally shot.
The teacher is now apologizing for her inappropriate and misinformed comments.
“I want to apologize sincerely publicly for things I said today in my class that had to do with something that I was very ignorant about. I’m just heartbroken that I said something so rude and disrespectful. I want my students to know that I truly apologize,” she said in a video-recorded apology.
“I should never have talked about something that I didn’t understand, and I truly, truly apologize and ask for forgiveness and hope that someday I can have that trust back with my students that I know that I lost,” she added.
The outlet reports that school officials have not said if McCoy will face any consequences for her statements.
