National Fire Academy Instructor Kicked off Campus for Alleged Racial Slurs Against D.C. Captain
EMMITSBURG, Md. (AP) -- The federal government's self-described ``Top Gun'' school of fire administration has suspended an instructor who allegedly used a racial slur to address a black student and displayed a Ku Klux Klan application in class.
The National Fire Academy, a professional training center about 60 miles north of Washington, suspended John R. Popenfus on July 30, immediately after learning of the allegations against him, spokesman Tom Olshanski said Friday.
Popenfus declined to comment when reached at his Frederick home Friday.
Popenfus, who is white, allegedly used the word ``nigger'' when addressing Capt. Clifton Humphries, of the District of Columbia Fire Department, during a July 30 class on designing firefighter training courses.
Humphries said Popenfus also displayed offensive materials, including a Ku Klux Klan application and a comic strip featuring a character called Super Whitey.
Humphries, 34, said he was the only black student in the class. He said Popenfus had told him privately that he wanted him to participate in a skit, but he was shocked when he saw the materials and decided not to play along.
In the classroom, Popenfus displayed the offensive items and asked, ``What do you think about that, nigger?'' Humphries said.
He said he told Popenfus three times that he felt uncomfortable, but Popenfus persisted. Several students walked out, and Humphries said he felt ``violated'' and ``degraded.''
Olshanski said he had not seen the materials but school officials were satisfied after interviewing the students that Popenfus had used ``offensive and unacceptable language.'' He said Popenfus apparently was ``attempting to use a teaching method that caused provocation.''
Olshanski said Popenfus, a contracted instructor for 20 years, has been sent a letter expressing the academy's desire to terminate his contract. Popenfus has until early next week to respond, Olshanski said.
The mountaintop academy is part of the U.S. Fire Administration, a unit of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security.
Instructor Removed from Md. Campus Within 90 Minutes of IncidentA black DC fire captain says a fire instructor at a federal training school used racial slurs directed at him and handed him a Ku Klux Klan application. This was just eight days ago, last Wednesday, at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
First there was an offensive comic strip featuring a character called Super Whitey, who is out and in search of blacks and Jewish citizens.
Then instructor began to distribute KKK applications to the class, with his attention centered on Captain Humphrey.
Then came the racial slur, when Dr. John Popenfus allegedly used the 'N' word. All the above was directed at DC Fire Captain Clifton Humphrey of Station 29.
The instructor was Dr. John Popenfus of Frederick, Maryland, who quickly captured the attention of a packed classroom, who were shocked at the teachers conduct.
Over the telephone, Popenfus didn't want to talk about the July 30th incident, and referred all comment to the National Fire Academy, where a FEMA spokesperson said little to nothing to defend the instructor who was escorted from the property less than 90 minutes after the incident.
Doctor John Popenfus taught fire classes at the National Fire Academy for the last two decades without as single mark on his teaching record. That was until last Wednesday. The long-time instructor is expected to receive his formal termination letter sometime next week.
As for Captain Humphrey, he says his learning days at the Academy may now be over, along with his dreams of one day becoming a chief. He told 9 News, "I can't take it anymore."
