Teacher under fire for cotton, cuffs in class on slavery

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Rochester school officials are investigating allegations that a white teacher told his class of mostly Black students to pick seeds out of cotton and put on handcuffs during lessons on slavery in a seventh-grade social studies class.

The teacher has been put on leave while the school system investigates the allegations.

They came to light after an appalled parent posted on Facebook that her daughter was confronted with the cotton-picking lesson Tuesday.

School officials haven’t identified the teacher but say they're taking the allegations very seriously.