document: Facebook comments prompt parents to remove children from teacher 's class Paterson parents converged on an elementary school this week demanding that their children be pulled from a class taught by a teacher who allegedly described herself as a '' `` warden '' '' overseeing '' `` future criminals '' '' on her Facebook page . District officials suspended the first-grade teacher at School 21 in an attempt to quell outrage that nonetheless continued Friday . District officials confirmed the teacher , identified by several sources as Jennifer Schmid O'Brien , has been suspended with pay and that an investigation into the comments is under way . Theodore Best , the school board president , said a '' `` significant '' '' number of parents , having seen the posts Wednesday , arrived at the school to remove their children from her class . On Friday , parents retrieving children at dismissal said they were dumbfounded , angered and disheartened by the comments , and believed the teacher was unfit to remain in the classroom . Some children exiting the school did n't believe it and thought it was an April Fools ' joke . Vickie L. White-Franklin , who said Friday that her daughter , Cha'Rashje Franklin , 7 , is in O'Brien 's class , heard the news earlier in the week . '' `` Our children were disturbed by those comments , '' '' she said . '' `` They will grow up thinking they 've already been labeled as a criminal . '' '' '' `` Heartbreaking '' '' Parents called the alleged comments shocking , unprofessional , hurtful and racist . Some said she should teach elsewhere if she 's unhappy , while others recommended she be fired and her teaching certificate revoked . '' `` It 's heartbreaking , '' '' said Angela Elliott , a parent . '' `` It makes me sad because I put trust in these teachers . They 're a part of my kids ' future . '' '' Kesha Hopkins , who went to School 21 and grew up nearby , was dropping a cake off at the school Friday for her third-grade son 's birthday party . While there are worse parts of the city , she said , '' `` a person like that should n't be teaching in this area - an urban area . '' '' Best said the teacher was suspended because reaction to the comments '' `` created serious problems at the school that impeded the functioning of the building . '' '' The board president and other board members were informed of the incident in an emergency executive session Thursday . '' `` You ca n't simply fire someone for what they have on a Facebook page , but if that spills over and affects the classroom then you can take action , '' '' he said . Darlene Morris , who runs a women 's group that works with school parents , said she was in '' `` disbelief '' '' when a parent showed her a printout of the Facebook comments before they were removed . She identified the teacher as O'Brien . O'Brien was a technology coordinator until this year when she was moved into the classroom as part of a staff reshuffling due to last year 's layoffs , district officials said . Her annual salary is $ 60,513 , according to the district . '' `` I do n't think of it as a white thing or a black thing . Six-year-old children do n't have rational minds ; they do n't always do what we tell them to do , '' '' Morris said . '' `` If you have that kind of attitude toward a child , you 're in the wrong place , because you ca n't help someone you do n't like . '' '' Best said he received several text messages from clergy and associates of the NAACP citing the Facebook posts . '' `` This is not the first time I 've heard something like this from a teacher , '' '' Best said . '' `` Overall , I think we have really good teachers . But there 's also a significant population of teachers here to collect the paycheck and do n't have the best interests of the students in mind . '' '' District investigating When asked about the suspension , Superintendent Donnie Evans said : '' `` It 's a personnel matter and we 've taken action . There is an investigation under way . '' '' Some community activists worry that such derogatory comments could damage the reputation of a neighborhood already plagued with poverty , crime and single-parent households . But one local pastor called the controversy an isolated incident and praised the elementary school overall for showing '' `` nothing but love for the children . '' '' '' `` There might be others -LSB- who share the sentiments expressed in the online remarks -RSB- but all I 've dealt with have shown no signs like that , '' '' said the Rev. Barry Graham , assistant pastor at Canaan Baptist Church on 22nd Street , a block from the school . Graham , whose congregation works closely with the school and recently lauded 130 honor roll students there , recognized that '' `` any one of us on a bad day could lash out . '' '' But , he said , '' `` we ca n't have anyone with that attitude teaching our children . '' '' Peter Tirri , president of the local teachers union , said he could n't comment because he has not yet confirmed the Facebook postings . But , he added , '' `` I ca n't imagine anybody has gone so far as to criticize 3,000 teachers because of allegations against one . '' '' New Jersey Education Association , the statewide teachers union , is providing the Paterson teacher with an attorney , a spokesman said . Trouble elsewhere Online postings have gotten teachers in trouble elsewhere . In August , a high school math and science supervisor in Massachusetts was forced to resign because of her Facebook comments describing students as '' `` germ bags '' '' and parents as '' `` snobby '' '' and '' `` arrogant . '' '' And in February , a high school English teacher in Bucks County , Pa. , was suspended with pay , and could lose her job , because she called her students '' `` lazy whiners '' '' in a blog with only a handful of followers . Annamaria Olmedo , who has three children in School 21 , said on Friday that many parents are using Facebook to tell other parents about the incident . Some parents felt the suspension was too light and that she should not teach again . '' `` Kids are going to be kids , '' '' said Robin Smith , aunt of School 21 student Yakira Robertson , 11 . '' `` She should 've kept comments like that to herself . '' '' Staff Writers Patricia Alex and Andrea Alexander contributed to this article .
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