PHILADELPHIA — The father of a 16-year-old Philadelphia girl who said she was mocked by her geometry teacher for wearing a Mitt Romney T-shirt said his children will not be going back to the school.
Samantha Pawlucy briefly returned to Charles Carroll High School in the city’s Port Richmond section Tuesday. That’s after she said she was mocked last week by her teacher for wearing the shirt supporting the Republican presidential candidate.
But her father, Richard Pawlucy, tells The Philadelphia Inquirer that his daughter never actually made it to class. Instead, she went into the school offices following a rally held by her supporters because she felt uncomfortable.
He said Samantha and two other high-school age children in his home will be transferring to another school, possibly a charter school.
Geometry teacher Lynette Gaymon has apologized in a letter read to students by the school principal on Tuesday, saying she meant her remarks to be “light and humorous” and they “never meant to belittle” the student or cause any harm.
Superintendent William Hite Jr. has called the ordeal a “teachable moment” and said he will work with the mayor and the teachers union to move “towards a conversation that brings together diverse beliefs, inspires understanding, and heals.”
Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, www.philly.com
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