In his 13 years of teaching at Alexandria City High School, English teacher Matthew Henry had never been referred to as a “faggot.”
Until now.
Henry, who identifies as gay, and holds a doctorate degree, reported being verbally and physically threatened at the school he works at in Virginia, according to the Washington Blade. He said school officials have failed to adequately respond to the students’ behavior, which included calling him a “faggot” on two occasions.
He sent a detailed two-and-a-half-page letter to the Alexandria School Board through its online public comment site, describing how he believes he’s facing threats by students.
“In my 13 years at ACHS, a school I love, I have never previously been called [a] faggot to my face,” Henry stated in his letter. “I have never been made to feel less than by any student that I can recall due to my sexuality, even if their religion, culture, church, neighborhood, friends or family tells them otherwise.”
“Twice now this year, students have used that word toward me simply because I have asked them to go to class,” his letter continued. “Twice within a month’s time: November 13 and December 13. Twice now. A third time I was physically threatened, though that word was not used.”
Henry stated that on the day he wrote his letter to the school board, a student “wondering the halls” asked him a question about a location within the school he was looking for, the Blade reported. When Henry responded, another student replied, “We ain’t talkin to you, faggot.”
The letter, a copy of which the Blade received from an Alexandria Public Schools spokesperson, had no date on it. But the Alexandria Times, which was the first media outlet to report the story on Henry’s letter, reported that the letter was sent early this year.
Henry had not responded to an interview request from the Blade about his report of anti-gay threats from students. His letter also did not specify how the students learned that he is gay, or whether he self-identifies as gay at the school.
In a response to a request, the Alexandria Public Schools sent the Blade a statement from Julia Burgos, the school system’s Chief of School & Community Relations, which was released in response to media inquiries.
“Please know that safety is a top priority at Alexandria City Public Schools,” the statement read. “We are dedicated to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students, staff, visitors and members of our school community.”
“To that end, we place a strong emphasis on adherence to our Student Code of Conduct with our students,” it continued. “When we are made aware of matters that do not align with our code of conduct, we address them and take appropriate action with those students as warranted.”
The statement did not say whether school officials have taken action against any of the students who Henry said have threatened him, or subjected him to anti-gay name-calling.
Henry said because the teachers count on the administration and the district to defend them when needed through quick and efficient consequences, he felt like the school and district are “letting him down,” the Blade reported.
“This is why I’m so shaken by this,” he wrote in the letter. “I am not allowed to defend myself and my instinct is to defend, both myself and others, especially LGBTQ+ students, in all aspects of my life.”
“The word ‘faggot’ immediately alerts me and other LGBTQ+ people that a situation is now dangerous,” Henry’s letter continued. “The response by campus leaders was very unsatisfactory.”
Henry wrote the hallways of the school are “an absolute nightmare.”
“I love being an educator, I love this school, and teaching is something I think I’m really good at. Many in this building feel the same,” his letter concluded. “It saddens me that a small group of students in this school is taking that away from us and is forcing many of us to look for off-ramps.”
