News briefs

California teacher, in faux headdress, on leave after mimicking Native Americans in video

LOS ANGELES — A Riverside high school teacher has been placed on leave after a viral video recorded by a student showed her hollering and dancing around a classroom in a faux feathered headdress, sparking outrage from the Native American community, school officials and local politicians.

The video, which was posted online Wednesday, shows the teacher in a fake feather headdress, chanting a mnemonic device — “Sohcahtoa,” often used in math courses to remember trigonometric functions — while stomping around the classroom and making chopping motions. The video has more than 3.7 million views on Twitter and hundreds of reactions on Instagram.

The Riverside Unified School District released a statement Thursday, saying the teacher’s actions “do not represent the values of our district.”

“These behaviors are completely unacceptable and an offensive depiction of the vast and expansive Native American cultures and practices,” the district said in a statement. The district did not return multiple requests for comment.

Officials did not say what the teacher said before or after the video clip. District spokesperson Diana Meza told The Riverside-Press Telegram that the instructor, whose name was not released for personnel and privacy reasons, was teaching a trigonometry class at John W. North High School.

Democratic Assembly members Sabrina Cervantes and Jose Medina, who represent parts of Riverside County, and James C. Ramos of San Bernardino County released a joint statement Thursday condemning the teacher’s actions.

“It is damaging and disheartening to see Native American and Indigenous culture represented in such a trite and insensitive way,” the statement said. “However, this is not an isolated incident, as such teaching practices, even in math classes, have been used across the nation. It is time that we stop this behavior.”

—Los Angeles Times

Judge denies Ghislaine Maxwell’s request for jury selection secrecy

NEW YORK — A Manhattan judge shot down a request Thursday from jailed British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell to conduct jury selection for her sex trafficking trial in secret.

Judge Alison Nathan ruled that legal precedent regarding the public’s right to follow a trial overrides Maxwell’s fears that further publicity harms her right to an impartial jury. Prosecutors on the case had joined Maxwell’s request for an unusual amount of secrecy in the jury selection process.

“These procedures will protect the First Amendment right to public access as necessary and mandated by law,” Nathan said.

The judge will also make the juror questionnaire public, over objections from Maxwell’s lawyers.

Maxwell, 59, has been in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since her July 2020 arrest. Her trial in Manhattan federal court is scheduled to start Nov. 29.

She said little during the lengthy hearing, which was conducted over the telephone.

“This is Ms. Maxwell, and I am on the line,” she said from jail. “I am alone in the room.”

Prospective jurors will be asked if they’ve ever protested for or against laws and regulations related to sex trafficking, sex crimes against minors, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, or otherwise been involved in advocacy for victims of sexual abuse.

Regarding prospective jurors who might lie, Nathan said, “We’ll smoke them out.”

Maxwell is charged with grooming teenage girls for Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse for more than a decade, as well as lying under oath about her lifestyle. She has pleaded not guilty.

Epstein, a close friend and former flame of Maxwell’s, hanged himself in 2019 while awaiting trial for underage sex trafficking.The trial is expected to last more than a month.

—New York Daily News

Judge resentences ex-Officer Mohamed Noor to almost 5 years, the maximum allowed under manslaughter count

MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minneapolis police Officer Mohamed Noor received a new sentence of 4 3/4 years, the maximum allowed, Thursday for his manslaughter conviction after the state's high court overturned the more serious murder conviction for the 2017 shooting of an Australian woman who had called to report a possible crime.

Noor, who turned 36 Wednesday, was resentenced by Judge Kathryn Quaintance on second-degree manslaughter because the Minnesota Supreme Court set aside his third-degree murder conviction last month. The decision vacated a prison term of 12 1/2 years Noor was already serving on the murder count for shooting Justine Ruszczyk Damond.

Quaintance said she wasn't surprised Noor has been a model prisoner, but he had fired his gun across the nose of his partner,endangering a bicyclist and others in the neighborhood on a summer evening.

"These factors of endangering the public make your crime of manslaughter appropriate for a high end sentence," she said.

Noor has served 29 1/12 months since he entered prison in May 2019. With credit for time served, Noor would be scheduled for release after serving 2/3 of his sentence, meaning he must serve another 8 1/2 months. He is likely to be released next May.

—Star Tribune

Queen Elizabeth spends night in hospital, says Buckingham Palace

LONDON — Britain's Queen Elizabeth II spent Wednesday night in the hospital for "preliminary investigations" after canceling her visit to Northern Ireland, Buckingham Palace has confirmed in London.

The 95-year-old monarch had canceled the trip planned for Wednesday and Thursday to rest for a few days at Windsor Castle.

The monarch returned to Windsor Castle at lunchtime Thursday.

The queen was seen by specialists at the private King Edward VII's Hospital in central London, PA Media reported late Thursday.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today, and remains in good spirits."

"It is understood the trip to hospital on Wednesday afternoon was expected to be for a short stay for some preliminary investigations, so was not announced by the Palace at the time, as well as in order to protect the Queen's medical privacy."

The overnight stay was said to be for practical reasons.

—dpa

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