Teacher Fined for Cussing in Spanish in Classroom

I had a teacher in middle school who called me a “friega quedito.” I think we all know what he really meant. But he was a decent man and would never use the word that the phrase called for, at least not in public. “Usted, señor Landa”, profe Garza would say, “es un friega quedito. Pero tenga cuidado que lo traigo entre ojos.” I knew better than to test him; he had dead-on aim with erasers and bits of chalk.

I remembered el profe when I read about a public high school teacher in Manhattan that was recently fined $15,000 for using the word coño in his classroom. According to the Associated Press “The teacher, Carlos Garcia, declined to be interviewed. But his attorney, Sergio Villaverde, said his client didn’t use the word. He also claims the court interpreter mistranslated the term during Garcia’s disciplinary hearings.”

We need an explanation, for the sake of clarity, of exactly what that word means. Again, the AP: “Its literal translation refers to the female sexual organs, according to the Royal Spanish Academy in Spain. But the institution charged with regulating the Spanish language says the word also can express “diverse states of emotion, especially surprise or anger.” The interpreter at Garcia’s disciplinary hearing allegedly, um, fouled-up the translation.  So the teacher was fined for using inappropriate language in the classroom.

Given the context of place, though, was the school district fair in its finding? I’m sure you couldn’t walk a block in Manhattan without hearing that word, spoken in joy or frustration, at least once.

On the other hand, profe Garza knew better; the word he omitted was used and conjugated un chingomadral de veces in the school yard. But it wasn’t appropriate in the classroom.

By the way, I couldn’t find the word coño in this on line list of Spanish curse words: Chromlea Language Tutor.

Also, for grins, try listening to this with a straight face: Professor Crass’ International Cursing. I couldn’t.

(You know you’re gonna look. Have fun!)