Niagara Falls Teacher Luke Laboy Fired After Racist Slavery Joke Allegedly Made in Classroom at Gaskill Preparatory

     A Niagara Falls middle school teacher has been terminated following an investigation into an incident in which a racially offensive remark referencing slavery was made to students inside a classroom at Gaskill Preparatory School.

     Niagara Falls City School District Superintendent Mark Laurrie confirmed Thursday, March 12th, that the teacher was terminated. The district is also moving forward with a Part 83 filing with New York State, which will allow state officials to determine whether the teacher will be permitted to retain a teaching license.

     Niagara Action has confirmed the identity of the teacher as Luke Laboy, a science teacher at the school.

     According to school officials, the incident occurred the previous Friday inside a classroom at Gaskill Preparatory where Laboy allegedly made a joke referencing slavery while speaking with students. The remark was reportedly directed toward a student and heard by another student in the classroom.

     Laurrie described the moment as deeply troubling and said the comment immediately upset the students involved.

     “A teacher at Gaskill Prep school made a very, very inappropriate, disrespectful joke to a seventh grade student,” Laurrie said. “At that time, the student became along with another student, became very upset upon hearing it, reported it to the assistant principal, reported it to me.”

     School administrators began reviewing the matter shortly after the report was made. According to the district, administrators interviewed both students and Laboy as part of the investigation before making the decision to terminate the teacher on Thursday.

     Laurrie said he was stunned when he first learned about the incident.

     “Shock, disgust, and, you know, unbelievable were the first two feelings and thought that came to my mind when I heard this. It really saddens me that that this was something that was uttered to a student,” he said.

     The superintendent also emphasized that such behavior is completely unacceptable within the district and said swift action was necessary.

     “There’s no reason for it, no call for it, no excuse for it. And we're going to act swiftly and decisively and move forward and then make sure that we do everything we can to a support student and make sure that this kind of behavior is known as not acceptable, and training is provided where necessary,” Laurrie added.

     Laboy is a second-year, non-tenured educator, meaning the district had broader authority to terminate employment following the investigation. According to data publicly available online, he is earning a salary just under $70,000.

     The incident came to light after an eighth-grade student described what occurred on a disciplinary form and reported the incident to school administrators.

     According to the student’s written account and family members familiar with the situation, Laboy allegedly made a remark referencing slavery while interacting with the student and another child in the classroom. The comment reportedly invoked imagery tied to slavery in a way that the students interpreted as humiliating and degrading.

     The student who reported the incident became visibly upset and immediately notified school administrators. Another student present during the exchange also reacted emotionally to the remark.

     Family members say the student has since been shaken by the experience and has expressed fear about returning to school following the incident.

     The matter quickly spread beyond the classroom as school officials began reviewing what had occurred.

     NAACP calls the incident “harmful” and “unacceptable.”

     The Niagara Falls branch of the NAACP released a statement condemning the alleged remark and calling for accountability within the school district.

 “Let's be clear: this is not a joke. This is a racist insult rooted in the brutal history of slavery, inflicted on children by someone entrusted to educate them. It is harmful. And it is absolutely unacceptable.

This was an act of racial degradation directed at children who should never be forced to carry the weight of America's most violent history within the walls of their classroom. Invoking the suffering of enslaved people to entertain oneself is a blatant violation of dignity and a direct assault on the humanity of African American students. It reveals a mindset that devalues African American life, ignores historical trauma, and undermines any trust that families place in our public school system.

Our children deserve classrooms where they are affirmed, protected, and respected - not spaces where their identity is mocked or their history weaponized.

The NAACP, Niagara Falls Branch stands firmly with the families impacted. We will continue to push for accountability, transparency, and meaningful structural change. We will not allow this incident to be minimized, dismissed, or forgotten.

The NAACP demands that the district conducts a full and transparent investigation into the incident, with findings to be shared with the community. Appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination be done immediately. There should also be mandatory district wide anti-racism and cultural competency training for all school district staff. It is essential that immediate support for the affected students and their families, including counseling and restorative healing services be provided and fully paid for by the Niagara Falls City School District. Lastly, the Niagara Falls City School District should also put in place a public plan outlining how it will prevent incidents like this from ever occurring again.

There must be a public commitment from the Niagara Falls City School District to strengthening safeguards that prevent this type of behavior from happening.”

     The Niagara Falls Teachers Union said it was aware of the situation but declined to discuss specific personnel matters involving Laboy.

     In a statement, the union emphasized that educators are entitled to due process while also condemning conduct that harms students.

     “We unequivocally condemn any confirmed actions or statements that marginalize, demean, or exclude students of any background. Our classrooms and hallways must always be safe spaces that protect the dignity, well-being, and sense of belonging of every student we serve,” the union said.

     In addition to terminating the teacher, the school district is preparing to take additional steps following the incident.

     The district is also planning additional staff training aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.

     While Laurrie acknowledged that incidents like this are rare within the district, he said the situation serves as a reminder that schools must remain vigilant in ensuring students feel safe and respected.

     “This kind of behavior is known as not acceptable,” Laurrie said.

     The district also indicated it will continue working to support the students affected by the incident.

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Niagara Falls Teacher Luke Laboy Fired After Racist Slavery Joke Allegedly Made in Classroom at Gaskill Preparatory