A Florida math teacher was fired last week after comparing his students' skin tones to coffee roasts in what the school principal labeled a "racially-charged incident."
Cary Altschuler, who taught AP statistics and precalculus at the Lake Worth Community High School in Palm Beach, was removed from his assignments in March after he presented photos of three students on the board with the titles "extra cream," "medium roast" and "dark roast" above their faces during a math lesson, according to a photo obtained by the Palm Beach Post.
The Palm Beach County School District denounced the incident and vowed to investigate his actions after students reported the display and posted it to social media. Lake Worth High School Principal Dr. Elena Villani reportedly chastised Altschuler for showing "egregiously inappropriate content" and denounced the lesson as "racially charged" in a letter sent to parents.
The district reassigned Altschuler to a job that had no student interaction pending investigation. Last Wednesday, the board voted to terminate Altschuler, citing ethical violations, including "engaging in bullying or harassing behavior on the basis of race," CBS12 reported.
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Altschuler, 48, told the outlet that he made a "major mistake" and was just joking with his students when he made the coffee comparison, which he now regrets. The longtime teacher said he got the idea for the display after two of his students were poking fun at each other's skin tones. He reportedly told them that "if they were going to make fun of each other to be creative."
Altschuler acknowledged that it was "stupid" of him to get involved. His termination with Palm Beach Schools takes effect on August 25. He told the outlet he does not intend to fight the board's decision and will accept the consequences of his actions.
Altschuler has been teaching at the Lake Worth High School since August 2020. Prior to that, Altschuler taught at high schools in Broward County and Hollywood.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Lake Worth High School and the Palm Beach County School District for comment.
