Potirendaba teacher suspended for racist and political remarks

A municipal teacher in Potirendaba, São Paulo, has been suspended following classroom comments that associated a potential Flávio Bolsonaro presidency with fascism and racial discrimination. Security camera footage, which includes audio, captured the educator telling 11-year-old students that a fascist regime would result in an era of “only whites and the rich.”

During the recorded lesson, the teacher pointed to specific students, stating that certain children would die because they were mixed-race (pardo), while suggesting that blonde children with light eyes would be safer. The teacher also used the term “pezinho na senzala” (a foot in the slave quarters) when responding to a student's question.

The incident was reported to Mayor Gislaine Franzotti by a parent after a child returned home emotionally distressed. In response, the municipal administration opened an administrative investigation and referred the case to the Labor Public Ministry, the Child and Youth Court, and the Guardianship Council. Local police are also investigating the remarks for potential crimes of racism and electoral violations.