Most memorably, classmates say, Mr. Miller established a reputation for barreling eagerly toward racial tinderboxes, leaving some to wonder whether his words were meant to be menacing or hammy. Jason Islas, who had been friendly with Mr. Miller in middle school, has little doubt.
Shortly before the start of ninth grade, Mr. Islas said, he received a call from Mr. Miller informing him that the two could no longer be friends.
He gives me this litany of reasons, Mr. Islas said.
Most were petty, if mean, he recalled: an insult about his social awkwardness, a dig at his acne-specked face. But one stuck out.
He mentioned my Latino heritage as one of the reasons, Mr. Islas said. I remember coming away from the conversation being like, O.K., thats that.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, called Mr. Islass account a completely inaccurate characterization of their relationship, or lack thereof, disputing his recollection and suggesting the two were more acquaintances than friends.
But several students said Mr. Millers trail of racially tinged comments amounted to a pattern. He railed against bilingual announcements, asking in a local editorial why there were usually very few, if any, Hispanic students in my honors classes, despite the large number of Hispanic students that attend our school.
Latino students remembered him engaging them outside group meetings, asking why they required a separate forum to discuss issues of identity, and chafing at Spanish being spoken in the halls.
He tended to make some of the Spanish language stuff very personal, said Moises Castillo, a classmate who described the exchanges as hurtful to this day. There was a if youre not speaking English, perhaps you should go somewhere else.