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- After an insensitive assignment on slavery, teachers at a Wisconsin middle school were put on leave.
- The assignment asked sixth graders how they would punish a slave.
- The answer was “According to Hammurabi’s Code: put to death.”
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Teachers at a Wisconsin middle school were put on administrative leave after giving students an assignment that asked them how they would “punish” a slave, several outlets reported.
Sixth graders at Patrick Marsh Middle School were asked to determine how a slave should be treated as part of an assignment on ancient Mesopotamia, CNN reported.
“A slave stands before you. This slave has disrespected his master by telling him, ‘You are not my master!’ How will you punish this slave?'” the assignment read.
The assignment said the answer was “According to Hammurabi’s Code: put to death.”
The Code of Hammurabi is the oldest and most complete written legal code. The 282 rules that make up the code include harsh punishments and concepts like an eye for an eye.
Sun Prairie Area School District did not reply to Insider's email request for comment, but in a statement sent to parents said they were investigating the incident, WMTV reported.
"We deeply regret that this lesson took place, and we also recognize that this was a breakdown in our curricular processes and our district-wide focus on equity," the statement said. "In addition to immediately addressing this situation, it is important that we commit to changing our curriculum and professional development for all staff."
In a joint statement also sent to parents, Principal Rebecca Zahn and assistant principal Amy Schernecker said they regret that the assignment "was not racially conscious and did not align to our district's mission and vision of equity," according to WMTV.
Dazarrea Ervins told WMTV that her son Zayvion showed her the assignment, and she was shocked by the language and that it also happened to be given on the first day of Black History Month.
"I can see how they're learning about this era, but the wording of the question and the statement - it was just wrong," Ervins said.
The lesson came from the online marketplace for educational resources, Teachers Pay Teachers, according to NBC. The organization told the outlet that the lesson was "unacceptable, inappropriate, and antithetical" to its values, and said they removed it as soon as they were aware it from the site as soon as they became aware of it.
In its statement, the district said that this "lesson was not a part of our district curriculum and therefore, no student should participate in or complete the assignment."