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Brookline Students Protest Teacher's Punishment At School Committee Meeting

BROOKLINE (CBS) - Protesting students disrupted the school committee meeting Thursday night, after not being heard by board members.

Dozens of students armed with posters, signs and their parents demanded their beloved middle school teacher, Larry Chen, be reinstated.

"He's a real piece of this school. And I think taking him away would deprive future students, former students, current students," said student Maya Sekhar.

"Mr. Chen is teaching us about the civil rights movement and this kinda feels like – on a smaller scale – but something similar," said student Mirabelle Khazei.

Joe Connelly
Interim Brookline Supt. Joe Connelly addresses students protesting Larry Chen's punishment (WBZ-TV)

Chen received a notice of termination from outgoing School Superintendent William Lupini after using a curse word in the presence of students after school.

Many parents are as equally outraged as students, and demanded Superintendent Lupini and the school committee hear public comment.

"If the kids can't be heard by the person that's going to make the decision, that's just remarkable. It's a lack of responsiveness on the part of the school committee," said parent Jim Stergios.

WBZ reached out to Lupini for comment, but did not hear back.

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