Headscratcher: Houston Teacher's Defense Against Child Molestation Charges: 'I'm racist!'
This story might be funny, if it weren't so sad.
When charged with fondling an African-American girl in her first-grade class, Irene Stokes, a teacher at Northwest Preparatory Academy charter school in Humble, Texas, said she would not have touched the girl, because she dislikes black children, and avoids any physical contact with them.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the 7-year old girl told police that her 61-year-old teacher sent her classmates out of the room, and proceeded to touch the girl's 'private parts,' or vaginal area, outside of her clothes. When the girl told her teacher to stop, Stokes sent her out of the classroom and made her miss lunch.
Of course, Stokes denies all of these allegations, but after she failed a polygraph test, police said she told them, "She doesn't like to even touch black children on their hand, she shies away when they try to hug her—she admitted to being prejudiced," according to Raw Story.
The Principal of the school confirmed that although the girl ate breakfast in the cafeteria, she did not eat lunch that day.
The teacher was removed from the classroom and subsequently fired, but parents told the local news station that they were not told why. Stokes is the fourth faculty member at the school to be charged with a felony. Three others were fired for over-disciplining a 7th grader who asked to use the bathroom.
Stokes' lawyer, Patty Maginnis maintains her client's innocence, and would not confirm that the comments police cited were even made. But if they were, Maginnis told the Chronicle, "They are not proof that a crime was committed. I would consider that a personal opinion."
