MONROE, Mich. (AP) — A southeast Michigan public school
teacher who was removed from the classroom while district officials
looked into whether a lesson plan on African-American history and racial
segregation laws was inappropriate has been reinstated, his lawyer
said.
Alan Barron was placed on paid leave last month after an
eighth-grade history class at Monroe Middle School was shown a video of
how white entertainers once used black face paint to imitate blacks, the
Monroe News reported (http://bit.ly/SnZA6I ).

Barron’s lawyer, C.J. Horkey, issued a statement Sunday saying Barron was being allowed to return to the
classroom.
"He
looks forward to spending the final three weeks of his career doing
what he loves, teaching the young people of Monroe," Horkey said in a
statement. "He also wants to thank this wonderful community for its
support though this difficult situation."
Superintendent Barry
Martin said in a statement on the Monroe Public Schools’ website that
paid leave was used to give the district time to "fully consider what
occurred in this classroom." He said it was a personnel matter that
ended up being aired in public.
"Monroe Public Schools, following
Michigan curriculum, requires and values the teaching of African
American history and issues of race as part of our social studies
instruction," the statement said.
In a recorded message to
employees, Martin said there is a mistaken perception "that the district
was opposed to a teacher providing students with information about the
history of racial issues in this country. This simply is not true."
Martin told The Associated Press in an email that Barron was asked to report to school Monday.
An
assistant principal sat in on the history class as Barron, 59,
discussed Jim Crow laws and showed the video. Barron, who is expected to
retire this year after 36 years in the district, also is supervisor of
Monroe Township, about 35 miles southwest of Detroit.