Outrage after 7th grade math teacher says the ‘N-word’ during a social media rant

The teacher has reportedly not been at the school at all this academic year

Graig Graziosi
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:28 EDT
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Amy Banks, a teacher at the Woodbury School in Salem, New Hampshire, is off the job after a video of her using the n-word began circulating on social media in September 2024
Amy Banks, a teacher at the Woodbury School in Salem, New Hampshire, is off the job after a video of her using the n-word began circulating on social media in September 2024 (Salem School District)

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A teacher in New Hampshire has been taken off her teaching duties while her school investigates why she used a racial slur in a bizarre video she posted to social media.

Amy Banks, who is listed as a 7th-grade math teacher at Woodbury School in the Salem School District reportedly used the “N-word” in a rant that has been making the rounds on social media.

It's unclear if she was speaking to anyone in particular when she used the slur in the video.

Reporters at Boston 25 News reached out to Banks for comment, but she declined to discuss the issue.

The video was first publicized after a concerned viewer sent a copy to Boston 25 News.

Amy Banks, a teacher at the Woodbury School in Salem, New Hampshire, is off the job after a video of her using the n-word began circulating on social media in September 2024
Amy Banks, a teacher at the Woodbury School in Salem, New Hampshire, is off the job after a video of her using the n-word began circulating on social media in September 2024 (Salem School District)

"I'll make sure I bring all the evidence I've collected," she says in the video. She then says what sounds like "James" followed by the phrase "king n*****."

Other troubling videos on her Facebook page seem to suggest she is involved in a custody dispute with a former partner for her children and that she has been receiving "wellness checks" from Manchester Police Department officers.

The video in which she uses the slur is no longer available or is listed as private.

School Committee Chair Mike Carney said on Tuesday during a meeting that the language is not reflective of the district's values.

“It was disturbing,” Carney said. “All I can say is it’s being investigated right now. It’s a personnel issue, and it’s going through the proper channels.”

Bank's photo and job listing are still present on the district website, according to Boston 25 News. However, Carney told the outlet that she was not teaching and has not been at the school at all since the academic year began in August.

“We have hundreds of employees, and it’s an individual,” Carney said. “There’s things going on that I can’t talk about, but that is by far not reflective of the Salem School District.”

As of this report, the "staff" section of the Salem School District's website was no longer functioning.

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