Turning an act of violence into a force for good, a Seattle public school teacher who was pepper-sprayed by police announced Monday that his $100,000 settlement will be used to support students “who have demonstrated the power of activism in pursuit of racial and social justice.”
Garfield High School teacher Jesse Hagopian, who helped organize the school’s historic standardized test boycott as well as racial justice protests, was sprayed in the face by a Seattle police officer while talking on the phone shortly after addressing a Black Lives Matter protest held on last year’s Martin Luther King holiday.
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Though the act—which was caught on video—was unprovoked, the offending officer only received a verbal reprimand, a punishment that was downgraded from a one-day suspension after the Chief of Police personally intervened. Hagopian filed a $500,000 claim against the city and, according to the Seattle Times, reached a settlement last month.
“This isn’t justice. Justice would be actually disciplining for the officer and insuring accountability for the police,” Hagopian said at a joint press conference and award ceremony along with the Seattle NAACP. “But this money will help us support youth and community organizations who are in the struggle for justice.”
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