There are multiple levels of misogyny, racism, and misogynoir at work here. Algebra teacher Megan (Chelsea Maidhof) tries to claim one of her now-suspended students, Alexis the fire-starter, is being punished for where he comes from since his parents are both addicts. Janelle counters that isn’t the case. Rather, she is simply trying to enforce the kind of accountability and consequences other students, with far more privilege than the ones at Compton Academy, automatically receive. While Janelle doesn’t explicitly say this, her message boils down to the fact that her students will never be able to compete with their wealthier, whiter competition if they’re never held to the same standards as them. Without that kind of structure they could very easily be looking at a future as second-class citizens who don’t “know how to act.” Most of the teachers are blind to that kind of truth.