Teacher dresses like Trayvon Martin for High School Yearbook picture

Spencer Smith

Spencer Smith, a teacher at Brentwood Heritage High School donned a hoodie, held a bag of skittles, and threw a gang sign to pose for his faculty yearbook picture.  My confusion is why would he do that, and why would the school board allow it?


Trayvon Martin was not an example of a good student.  He was suspended from school three times before the second semester of his Sophomore year.  One of those times for having illegal drugs in his possession.  Trayvon was caught vandalizing school property, and when found with jewelry and burglary tools in his backpack, he refused to say where the jewelry came from.  One of his teachers (see his documented text messages),  caught him fighting on school grounds.  I'm sure there must have been a student more worthy of this teacher's respect and honor.  Parents were outraged that this was allowed to happen,  but were ignored by the powers that be.  Only if you are a person of color these days is your outrage validated, and in most cases, validated.  Bad behavior is rewarded and accountability for that bad behavior is shifted if enough protests are organized.

Trayvon Martin didn't deserve to die, and had he lived, based on the road he was on, no one would have been holding him up as a stellar example of a student.  This teacher should not have been allowed to dress like a thug throwing a gang sign, period.