A math teacher at Lake Worth High School has been removed from class and reassigned following an “egregiously inappropriate” incident the Palm Beach County School District is calling “racially charged,” according to a notice sent to parents.
Cary Altschuler, an Advanced Placement statistics teacher, was teaching a class last month when he displayed three students’ photos on the classroom board with the titles “extra cream,” “medium roast” and “dark roast” above their heads, according to two sources who were inside the classroom at the time.
In an email to parents, principal Elena Villani apologized for the “disturbing” situation involving Altschuler, who has worked for the district since August 2020.
Altschuler has been reassigned to a job in the district where he does not have contact with students, Villani said.
Last month’s incident is not the first time Altschuler has been accused of acting inappropriately with students.
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In 2018 he was formally reprimanded and placed on two years of probation by the Florida Department of Education after Broward County students reported that he made inappropriate and sometimes sexual comments about female students and what they were wearing.
Reached Friday, Altschuler said he could not comment on the incident because of the investigation by the district’s office of professional standards.
Altschuler disciplined by state in 2018 for inappropriate comments to female students
Altschuler, 48, has been a teacher since 2013, according to his LinkedIn page.
He taught at high schools in Broward County before moving to Avant Garde Academy in Hollywood and then to Somerset Academy Charter Schools in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
In 2017, Altschuler was investigated by the Florida Department of Education after female students reported he made inappropriate and sometimes sexual comments about them and what they were wearing and that had led them to avoid him and his class.
One student also said he commented on their athletic and academic skills as well as their mother’s appearance. The students who reported the incidents said Altschuler made them feel angry and embarrassed.
“This panel, which includes fellow educators, believes that, as a teacher, you are required to exercise a measure of leadership beyond reproach,” education practices commission presiding officer Christina Basso wrote in a letter to Altschuler.
“By your actions, you have lessened the reputation of all who practice our profession and have diminished your position as an educational leader. The profession cannot condone your actions, nor can the public who employ us,” she wrote.
He was fined $750.
Altschuler started teaching at Lake Worth High in August 2020.
His personnel file shows he reported his prior discipline to the district when he applied for the job. But Basso’s letter does not appear in his file, and his file does not include any details about the discipline or the complaints that led to the state’s investigation.
While he’s worked at the school, Altschuler has been the head coach of the varsity girl’s flag football and is on the coaching staff of the boys’ team.
Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work,subscribe today!