A Lincoln High history teacher and former president of the Portland teachers union has been removed from the classroom and put on leave after he used the N-word repeatedly during one class and pressed his body against a female student during another.



Jeff Miller, 55, a longtime union leader who has taught history for decades, primarily at Cleveland High but more recently at Wilson and Lincoln high schools, was put on a paid leave of absence, beginning Monday, after he used the N-word during a lesson on Southern race relations last week.



During another class, captured on video by a student, Miller spent more than 10 minutes directing students to body-surf and play air guitar and also wriggled his backside against that of a female student while imitating a rock guitarist.



Lincoln Principal Peyton Chapman confirmed that Miller is on leave but refused to say why. Miller's attorney, Patrick Bryant, also declined to reveal or discuss the allegations but said, "He is a well-liked teacher of nearly 30 years in the district, and we're hoping and anticipating that he'll return to the classroom . . . as quickly as possible."



In a letter to students and parents Wednesday, Chapman sought to reassure them that the school has secured an excellent long-term substitute to replace Miller while he is "temporarily" on leave.



"My administrative team and I will continue to monitor the classes closely to ... provide a rigorous, challenging and meaningful classroom experience that our students deserve," she wrote.



Miller's suspension comes at a time when Portland Public Schools is striving to root out poor classroom performance by getting teachers to improve or be fired. A record number of teachers had their contracts cut short this spring or agreed to resign after they were told their performance was unacceptable.





But Chapman said Lincoln's teaching standards have been high for a long time, not just this year. "Generally, what is my expectation for class time? I expect every minute of our scarce instructional time is used for instruction, and I expect excellent instruction in every class every day."

Miller served on the executive board of

for nine years before he was elected president. He presided from 2006 to 2008 and was known for his assertive representation of teacher rights.

Alex Burns-Miller, a student in Miller's junior U.S. history class where the N-word was spoken and the air guitar session held, said Miller is an outstanding teacher whose actions have been "blown out of proportion."

"He's inspiring, energetic. ... He is a breath of fresh air for me personally," Burns-Miller said. "He is not boring like other teachers. He is one of the best teachers I have ever had. We have learned so much."

The student with whom Miller pretended to play guitar sensed nothing inappropriate about his back-to-back contact with her, nor did her parents, her father said.

Burns-Miller said Miller used the N-word when he was impersonating a racist white Southerner to help students understand those times. The air guitar class was the last before winter break. "He likes to have fun with classes," Burns-Miller said. "Everybody was having a good time."

In the video, most students look stunned or uneasy, but others laugh, as Miller directs them to gather for "a rave," to lift a classmate over their heads and carry him to the neighboring classroom and to simulate playing guitar while Tom Petty music blares. He jokes repeatedly about marijuana.

The video, which was posted publicly on YouTube, went viral among parents and teachers before it was reset for private viewing only.

When Miller used the racial slur, a student objected, Burns-Miller said. He said the teacher explained why he used it but did not repeat it. A second student gave the same account.

Jeff Miller's teaching history in Portland

Here is Miller's work history since he was hired by Portland Public Schools in October 1984.

1984-85

Benson

1985-89

Cleveland

'89-90

Benson/Cleveland

1990-2006

Cleveland

2006-2008

Union leave

2008-2010

Wilson

2010-2012

Lincoln

Chapman would not confirm that Miller used the term in class. Teachers she has observed, including English teachers discussing "Huckleberry Finn," choose to say "N-word" rather than the slur itself because it is so offensive. "Our general policy is that we don't use racially offensive terms at Lincoln."

Creating a racially sensitive climate is a top priority of Portland Public Schools, which have poured a lot of time and money into racial awareness training. Lincoln teachers have undergone monthly training in that vein this year, including having students of color and the school's minority support coordinator share their views during faculty meetings, Chapman said.

"We are concerned about the achievement gap at Lincoln and the research shows that the No. 1 impact on student achievement is the teacher in the classroom," she said.

Miller's attorney said Miller is cooperating with district officials investigating his conduct. "As of yet, nothing has been completed," Bryant said.

Lincoln teacher David Bailey was away at a journalism conference during the past week and has no knowledge of what took place in Miller's class. He also hasn't watched the video.

But, as a teacher at Lincoln for decades, he said he thinks language that could be construed as offensive can be appropriately used in class, such as during a discussion of censorship or the power of language. Such lessons must be in context and handled with sensitivity, he said. On the flip side, he cautioned that even when students say they find teacher conduct acceptable or funny, it may not be.

"We are adults and dealing with adolescents whose emotions and sensibilities often ride the winds," Bailey said. He said he also is concerned about "students who may find such behavior inappropriate but (are) unwilling to step forward for fear of being marginalized."

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