Mother says son was suspended for calling teacher ‘cute’

[TrackerSam]

Just curious; do you have any children in public school? Any teachers in your family?

I raised 5 children and have 14 grandkids currently going to school. No teachers but so what? In your opinion, unless I am a teacher or have children who are teachers, my opinion isn't valid?

 

[Snick1946]

I raised 5 children and have 14 grandkids currently going to school. No teachers but so what? In your opinion, unless I am a teacher or have children who are teachers, my opinion isn't valid?

Not at all. You have a right to your opinion like everyone else. From my standpoint of being married twenty years to a public school teacher, I find it tiresome that so many are quick to stereotype public education as 'liberal' and permissive.

Not saying this about you, but a lot of folks take what they hear on AM talk shows uncritically and assume it's the gospel truth.

And no, I do not agree with what the school did on this matter and am glad they retracted their action. And this is my last comment.

 

[jjenny]

They forced a principal to retire over that? Really?

 

[marauder]

... In the society that Orwell describes, everyone is under complete surveillance by the authorities, mainly by telescreens. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brother_(Nineteen_Eighty-Four)

No. In the book 1984, the general public is not monitored, they didn't have to be. Posters of Big Brother, a use of limited vocabulary in media, and Fox News style fear-based television was all that was needed to keep the masses from revolting. The general public was, in Orwell's very word, "free." Though "free," they still lived in a nightmarish society with collapsing infrastructure, lack of proper health care, recurring wars, and, almost ironically, not too much government but basically no government whatsoever. Government in that book was too busy monitoring and oppressing its own members to actually govern.

Only those who were part of the government itself were subject to telescreen monitoring. Protagonist Winston Smith saw that the only hope for reform was thus with the only part of society free from government spying: the general public, the proles.

I'm pretty sure that the voice in our own society that tries to portray sexual matters as "dirty" isn't from pot smoking "leftists" who listen to George Carlin and Doug Stanhope so much as the more conservative fundamentalist christians. But I very strongly agree with the suggestion that "zero tolerance" often means zero justice, and that "zero tolerance" has no place in a thinking society.

I don't know what was right in this case, and to consider this matter properly, we need the complete facts, including some good photographs of this possibly smokin' hot teacher. :innocent:

 

[angelmom]

They forced a principal to retire over that? Really?

I know, right?

Two possibilities, IMHO:

1) This isn't the first time he's embarrassed the school
2) This school has a lot of high maintenance parents, he's close to retirement anyway, and he is OVER it

Can't say which is more likely, but I doubt it's just this one thing. It was probably the straw that broke the camel's back in one way or another.

***ETA...after watching the video linked above, I am more inclined to believe it is choice #2. This principal has been an administrator for 35 years, 15 at the same school, and is rated 5 out of 5 stars on parent reviews.

Also, the boy's mother is considering legal action over this.

 

[marauder]

I find it tiresome that so many are quick to stereotype public education as 'liberal' and permissive.

If it doesn't involved war or jesus, conservatives are likely to label it "liberal."

 

[Kimberlyd125]

The investigation showed that what this child did was not sexual harassment.

IMO he was falsely accused of something that carries a horrible label. I'm glad this was investigated and the words "sexual harassment" can be taken off of his discipline records.

I don't know about everywhere else, but here discipline records follow you all through school. I would hate to think my child had those words on his records for saying someone is fine.

JMO

 

[vlpate]

The investigation showed that what this child did was not sexual harassment.

IMO he was falsely accused of something that carries a horrible label. I'm glad this was investigated and the words "sexual harassment" can be taken off of his discipline records.

I don't know about everywhere else, but here discipline records follow you all through school. I would hate to think my child had those words on his records for saying someone is fine.

JMO

Seriously, this was number one for most stupid story of the day. Boys that age always get a crush on their teacher and it's (about the only time in their lives), not sexual. Just like when a girl that age gets a crush on her teacher :blushingraises hand), nothing sexual at all....just a crush at what our little minds perceive as cute.