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The only reason it was deemed disruptive is because the teacher disagreed with the kids point of view, took offense and used classroom removal as a excuse to shut him down.
So if she were teaching, let's say, a math class and the kid went off on a political subject she'd've let him bang on till three o'clock?
The only reason it was deemed disruptive is because the teacher disagreed with the kids point of view, took offense and used classroom removal as a excuse to shut him down.
It was disruptive. What do you think the child's intent was? He wasn't doing a project on the Civil War. Are you that far gone and so obessed with being right that you put the education of every child in that class room aside to further some far right agenda? If he wants to protest against Gay people and display his pride of old south by displaying the Confederate flag, he is free to do so, outside of school. I bet you wouldn't be so quick to defend someone who was wearing a t-shirt expressing their love for the Black Panther Party and arguing with the teacher about how evil White people or the establishment is. Either way, it is still disruptive and NO ONE can go around saying or doing whatever they want at school or at work. It is unrealistic to think this behavior would be tolerated.
Jay McDowell, a high school teacher in Michigan, was recently suspended (without pay) for dismissing a disruptive, anti-gay bigot from his class. The student was upset that he and other students were not allowed to display the confederate flag in class but that students were allowed to wear the color purple in support of the anti-gay bullying movement. During the argument, the disruptive student also spouted of about his anti-gay beliefs.
The reprimand informed McDowell that neither wearing the confederate flag nor spreading an anti-gay message in class constitutes a substantial disruption to the educational process and that therefore by suppressing both he had violated the student's rights.
McDowell responded to the reprimand first by pointing out that the school has a policy of not allowing confederate flags to be displayed in any car on school property, and then by saying "I believe any symbol or speech that can cause a student to sit in fear in the classroom whether or not there is an outward show of that fear is by its very nature a disruption to the educational process."
Here's one of his gay students defending him at a school board meeting as well as discussing how anti-gay bullying led him to attempt suicide at age 9:
So, do you agree with the teacher or the school board? Should students be allowed to wear what many people regard as hate symbols and be given a pulpit to express their bigoted beliefs (whether they be anti-gay, anti-Muslim, anti-Christian, ant-black, anti-white, etc), or does such freedom create a disruptive atmosphere of fear and bullying inappropriate for a school?
1. Bullying of ANY form should NEVER be tolerated.
2. Likewise, wearing a confederate flag on a shirt is a little different than wearing a Klan hood and should not be a problem.
3. The teacher, not the student, preciptiated the 'confrontation". Like my wife says, "Who is the adult here?"
4. Having certain "views" about different people, while certainly irrational, should not be probibited unless it is used to intimidate, belittle or bully others. I don't have any problem with someone who has personal views of hating white, blacks, hispanics, gays, red heads, short people, ect....... unless they express those views to others in order to intimidate or demean them. Let's face it- you can try to educate others to be more accepting of other people (do unto others), but some simply cannot be changed. Further, thier first amendment rights vs simple decency and consideration of others must be measured. These two issues are not always the same and may lead to conflict.
I don't think the teacher needs to be 'punished' and any child disrupting a class should be dismissed no matter what the topic is. I don't care how this kids feels about homosexualy but free speech doesn't mean you get to disrupt, and it especially doesn't mean you get to spew your dislike of other people who are sitting right next to you in a classroom setting. If you can't keep your opinions about people to yourself in a mixed environment you probably aren't a candidate for school, the workplace, or anywhere groups of people gather. That's a life lesson we rarely seem to teach anymore.
You're right on, I'm beginnning to think schools should be run like the military, try complaining about free speech with your Drill Instuctor. Kids in school need to sit down and **** unless an opinion is given to them.
1. Bullying of ANY form should NEVER be tolerated.
2. Likewise, wearing a confederate flag on a shirt is a little different than wearing a Klan hood and should not be a problem.
3. The teacher, not the student, preciptiated the 'confrontation". Like my wife says, "Who is the adult here?"
4. Having certain "views" about different people, while certainly irrational, should not be probibited unless it is used to intimidate, belittle or bully others. I don't have any problem with someone who has personal views of hating white, blacks, hispanics, gays, red heads, short people, ect....... unless they express those views to others in order to intimidate or demean them. Let's face it- you can try to educate others to be more accepting of other people (do unto others), but some simply cannot be changed. Further, thier first amendment rights vs simple decency and consideration of others must be measured. These two issues are not always the same and may lead to conflict.
How did the teacher start this? The student is the one who walked into class and said what he said. That is what started it.
Finally a school board showing some common sense. All too often we hear about school boards abusing students' rights. Here the school board upheld is rights AND took action against the bigoted teacher who kicked the student out of class because he (the teacher) didn't like the way the student was dressed. Good for the school board.
I don't see this as a discussion of homosexuality or homosexuals rights at all, important as that topic may be. This discussion is properly limited to what a student may or may not do or say in a properly run classroom in which the rights of all students are protected. The purpose of a classroom is for the imparting of knowledge. A student -any student- is within her/his rights to expect a safe and orderly environment for learning. No student has the right to commandeer the classroom to her/his own purpose. If the teacher finds that a discussion -any discussion- has gone on long enough and has begun to interfere with the syllabus of the class, s/he has every right to enforce discipline on an unruly student.
Finally a school board showing some common sense. All too often we hear about school boards abusing students' rights. Here the school board upheld is rights AND took action against the bigoted teacher who kicked the student out of class because he (the teacher) didn't like the way the student was dressed. Good for the school board.
Curious: Would you be okay with a swastika? A pro al Qaeda T shirt?
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