Going once! Going twice! Sold!

A gimmicky spur-of-the-moment auction item offered to bidders at Markham Elementary School’s annual fundraiser offended the faculty: Parents willing to pay the most could choose their child’s teacher for the coming school year.

The “choose your teacher” item was a last-minute addition at the March 2 auction and was green-lit by Principal Shawn Garnett, according to emails obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive under a public records request.

Six parents won the opportunity to choose their student’s next teacher, contributing a combined $1,300 to the fundraiser’s final tally, district spokesman Harry Esteve said.

In a March 5 email to Garnett, PTA President Alissa Maxwell said a preliminary count showed the auction raised more than $52,000, surpassing goals.

“Please share with staff that we were thrilled to have such great attendance at the auction,” Maxwell wrote in her message to Garnett three days after the auction. “It makes a huge difference in our fundraising to have them there. We hope that everyone had a good time and I think a few people came away with some great items!”

Two days later, Maxwell had another message for Markham staff. This time, it was an apology over the “choose your teacher” item.

“We understand the concerns that have been raised around this auction item and the equity of allowing a small number of parents to pay for a choice of teacher,” Maxwell wrote. “Please know that we have heard your concerns and are refunding purchases as requested.”

The about-face was spurred by complaints Garnett received from Markham teachers.

In an email to Maxwell, Garnett said educators complained about the auction’s optics. They were concerned the “choose your teacher” stunt would contribute to inequity among students.

A majority of the Markham student population, 51 percent, is economically disadvantaged. The student body is 53 percent white, with black students making up 26 percent of the population. Latinos are the next largest demographic, at 8 percent.

Teachers also complained about a comment the auctioneer made when he was met with silence as bids opened up to select among teachers in a particular grade.

“Oh, all the teachers in (that) grade must be good,” the auctioneer reportedly said.

Maxwell told Garnett the auctioneer “got a bit flustered with this new auction item and the challenge of filling dead air.”

Esteve, the district spokesman, said in a statement that the teacher auction “shouldn’t have happened.”

“It understandably upset staff at Markham, and it doesn’t in any way align with what we know is the appropriate way to determine classes and teachers,” he said. “The principal realizes that she made a spur-of-the-moment mistake by agreeing to a request to allow families to bid on specific teachers for their students, and she has apologized to her staff.”

The snafu came to light as federal prosecutors charged dozens in a college admissions bribery scandal that enveloped several college coaches and two Hollywood actresses: Lori Loughlin of “Full House” fame and Felicity Huffman, who starred in ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” in the ’00s.

Maxwell did not respond to a request for comment.