A teacher in California is being criticized after being captured on video using the n-word repeatedly in class as she attempts to get a student to repeat the racial slur after her. According to students at Sequoia Middle School in Fontana, California, the class was reading a Mark Twain novel when someone asked the teacher about the spelling of the n-word, KABC Los Angeles reports.

“The teacher got in front of the class, and she was saying that the word is just an English word and everybody can say it if she wants to, it’s in the dictionary, and people are oversensitive over the word,” the student who shot the video on her phone told KABC.

The student, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the teacher then encouraged a student to use the racial slur too. She was trying to force him to say the word and she repeatedly kept saying it and allegedly she had a smirk on her face. In the video, which was shared by the news channel, the unidentified female teacher says the racial slur and tells the student, “You asked me how to spell it, so go ahead and pronounce it.”  She tells the student, repeating the slur twice more.

The incident was described as an “unfortunate exchange” between the teacher and student by Miki R. Inbody, superintendent of schools for the Fontana Unified School District. The school district did not identify the teacher; it is unknown if she has faced any disciplinary action. According to the school’s superintendent, teachers, administrators, and other staff members will continue to receive training and support “to ensure that they understand the importance of creating an inclusive and respectful learning environment.” – Steve Sijenyi