TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. — A middle school teacher in North Carolina has been suspended for showing a group of students a music video for a song that supports same-sex marriage.
The Taylorsville Times reported the action comes after the unidentified teach showed students the music video “Same Love” by rap artist Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis. The video recently won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Social Message.
Alexander County Schools Associate Superintendent Dr. Jeff Peal said, “At West Alexander Middle School, there was an inappropriate video shown in class, outside the bounds of the curriculum, that called for disciplinary action last week. That teacher will be back in school this week.”
Peal declined to comment further and did not name the teacher who was disciplined. He did confirm that the video was a music video by a rap artist named Macklemore “Same Love.”
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The video charts the life of a gay man and includes images of him kissing his boyfriend, getting married and lying motionless in a hospital bed while holding his partner’s hand.
According to Macklemore, the song was written in support of Washington state’s referendum 74, which was approved in 2012 and legalized same-sex marriage in the state.
Near the end of the seven-minute video, text flashes that says: “Support Marriage Equality. Approve Ref. 74.”
Watch:
Last year, a Detroit-area middle school teacher was also suspended for playing “Same Love” in class, but was reinstated and her docked pay restored following public outcry.
