2nd N.J. teachers union prez suspended after undercover video
The Union City teachers union chief is under fire after the release of an undercover video that shows her denigrating some of the city's public-school students, suggesting a teacher not report that he hurt a student and referring to a Union City teacher who had sex with a child but was not charged criminally.
Conservative group Project Veritas, which has been slammed by the statewide teachers union for "using dishonest and illegal tactics to fabricate false stories," released the 15-minute video on Wednesday morning, one day following the release of a similar video that resulted in the suspension of a teachers union president in Hamilton Township. Kathleen Valencia, president of the Union City Education Association, is identified as the woman in the newest sting.
Asked to comment, a statement from the school district says Valencia has been suspended.
"The board finds the comments that were made deeply disturbing and inappropriate because they in no way reflect the views, and core beliefs and values, of our school district, or of the professionalism of our educators, and other employees," the statement says. "We have no governing control over the UCEA, its policies or procedures — we are separate and distinct entities. The UCEA does not speak for our school district."
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"I know dirt bags. I have taught the dirt bags. They have a whole dirt bag class at the high school. I've taught the dirt bag class, OK?" Valencia says in the video. "It's the biggest f*ing pieces of s* I have worked with."
The woman from Project Veritas expresses fear that her brother will be criminally charged and asks Valencia for assurance that he won't be.
"People have done worse things than him and, like, been fine?" the woman says.
In response, Valencia points to a file on her desk.
"This file right here is from a teacher who had sex with a student, OK? You're not going to jail," Valencia says. "This file is about whether or not the teacher gets to keep his pension. Sex with a teenage girl. Is he going to jail? No. How come? Because the child's not pressing charges."
