SAN ANTONIO – One former KIPP Poder Academy parent said her daughter’s class played a game that required students to pose as “hookers.”
In September 2022, Laura Gruber picked up her 13-year-old daughter from KIPP Poder academy on the North Side. Her daughter told her the teacher made the class play “bear hooker hunter,” which her daughter said is similar to rock, paper, scissors.
“If the hunter and the hooker are played at the same time, the hooker seduces the hunter while he points a gun at her,” Gruber said, referring to the rules her daughter explained.
Gruber said she was outraged.
“I was like, ‘This is ridiculous.’ So there’s no reason why any 13-year-old in any school period should have this,” Gruber said.
Gruber said she took her daughter out of KIPP Poder Academy within a week.
“She didn’t want to be there after that,” Gruber said.
Nearly six months after the incident, the school finally sent a letter to parents confirming an inappropriate game was played.
The letter from KIPP Poder to parents says in part:
“While the intent was never to sexualize the children, I recognize the impact the impact may have caused students to feel uncomfortable or traumatized.”
It also mentions talking points for parents to discuss with their children about the incident.
But Gruber said that is not good enough.
“If you’re hiring a teacher that doesn’t have the filter for this, she doesn’t belong in a school period,” Gruber said.
KIPP sent the following statement to KSAT:
At KIPP Texas Public Schools, the safety of our students is our top priority. In September, one of our 7th-grade teachers played a game with students that was not a part of the KIPP Texas curriculum. After learning about this incident, we immediately addressed the matter with the teacher. In addition to our annual training for all staff, we have scheduled an additional full-staff training for all our teachers on appropriate and inappropriate activities with students to ensure that nothing like this happens again. We take responsibility for any impact this may have had on our students or families.
The full letter to parents can be read below or by clicking here.