Oklahoma State teaching assistant says she can't teach Spanish because she's White

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Video circulating on social media appears to show an Oklahoma State University teaching assistant saying she will not teach Spanish because she is White. 

Jessica Bridges, according to a LinkedIn profile of the same name, is set to receive her doctorate degree in Social Foundations of Education sometime in 2021, although it was not clear if she has already completed her coursework. The comments were reportedly made during the Southern Connecticut State University's 2021 Virtual Women's and Gender Studies Conference. 

"Racism originates with and is perpetuated by White people," Bridges says in the video. At another point, she asserts that "White isn't right." 

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Bridges vows to confront her "internalized white supremacy" by not teaching Spanish.

"Learning Spanish from a White woman, I wish I could go back and tell my students not to learn power or correctness from this White woman," she says. 

"Dismantling white supremacy in society looks like dismantling in my heart first. It means I'm not going to teach Spanish." 

According to the same LinkedIn profile, Bridges received a Master's Degree in Spanish Language, Literature and Culture from the University of Northern Iowa in 2013. She had previously taught Spanish at Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky from 2004-2014. 

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SCSU spokesman Patrick Dilger told Fox News in response to an inquiry, "this was a faculty member from another institution giving her personal views during a virtual conference hosted by Southern," directing further inquiries to Oklahoma State.

OSU spokesperson Shannon Rigsby told Fox News that Bridges does not currently teach classes and is not scheduled to teach in the fall, noting that the last time she taught a class was in the fall of 2019. 

"Oklahoma State University encourages all students to pursue the career of their choice regardless of race, gender or ethnicity. The opinions expressed by this student are her own and do not reflect the views of the university," Rigsby added. 

Bridges did not provide a comment to Fox News in time for publication.