Student sticks up for teacher

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Hiccup wrote on 2010-11-15 08:52

[video=youtube;-77KOlBWito]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-77KOlBWito[/video]

The 14-year-old Ann Arbor student Graeme Taylor, who is openly gay, bravely stood up for his teacher, Jay McDowell at a recent school board meeting. McDowell was disciplined on October 20 for removing two students who had made anti-gay remarks in class. During his speech in support of his teacher, Taylor revealed his problems with bullying and a suicide attempt at the age of 9.

Posting this here cause this stuff usually leads to a discussion.

+1 hope for humanity
Phunkie wrote on 2010-11-15 08:58

Good stuff!

Teachers shouldn't tolerate that kind of behavior or language in their classes. Not even foul language. Surprised that the school board disciplined the teacher for what he did though.

But worry not, the world is slowly becoming a better place!
jking012 wrote on 2010-11-15 09:49

i think you mean Shouldn't tolerate?
but i think we get your message
Omegatronic wrote on 2010-11-15 17:13

The incident began as students were entering the classroom. The teacher was asked about the purple shirts with the words "Tyler's Army" on it, which were being worn to support awareness of gay bullying. The teacher then began discussion about anti-bullying. A female student, who was not one of the ones ejected from class, came in wearing a Confederate flag belt buckle. The teacher asked for it to be removed as he found it offensive.

Another student, asked why she had to remove the belt buckle. To paraphrase the discussion:
"Confederate Flag Bad!"
"Gays get flag!"
"But we aren't talking about that flag! Confed Flag bad!"
"I don't accept gays"
"You can't say that in class"
"Why not? I don't. It's against my religion."
"Religion fine. But statement inappropriate for class"

The teacher then went on to explain to the class that the statement was the same as saying "I don't accept blacks" and wouldn't be tolerated. The teacher then suspended the student from his class and sent him to the office. Another student spoke up, "I don't accept gays either. Can I leave too?" To which the teacher responded, "Yes. Get out."

All of the above can be found in the teacher's response to his reprimand.

I watched the video, then did my research. For all the kid's eloquence in public speaking, he has no clue what happened in the class room and is only there to share his rhetoric.

The first amendment of the U.S. constitution guarantees the right to be as intolerant as you want to be as long as you do not deprive others of their rights. So, the question is, did the statement, "I do not support gays," deprive the other students of their rights? Class hadn't began, so did not disrupt class. No students were deprived of their education, except the two sent to the office. Bottom line, I agree with the teacher's reprimand and suspension for depriving the students of their first amendment rights.

Intolerance for intolerance is hypocritical.

Edit: used support instead of accept in the "I don't accept gays."
Cucurbita wrote on 2010-11-15 17:40

Discussion is getting old.

And gets nowhere anyways.
Justified wrote on 2010-11-15 17:57

Quote from Omegatronic;216239:
The first amendment of the U.S. constitution guarantees the right to be as intolerant as you want to be as long as you do not deprive others of their rights. So, the question is, did the statement, "I do not support gays," deprive the other students of their rights? Class hadn't began, so did not disrupt class. No students were deprived of their education, except the two sent to the office. Bottom line, I agree with the teacher's reprimand and suspension for depriving the students of their first amendment rights.

Intolerance for intolerance is hypocritical.

There are things that don't belong in schools, so I also agree with the teacher. A lesser example would be simple cussing. You have the right to do it, but do it in certain places and you'll be asked to leave. You can claim first amendment all you want, but as we've already agreed on with those funeral "Thank God for dead soldiers" thing, some things just don't belong.

Another student spoke up, "I don't support gays either. Can I leave too?" To which the teacher responded, "Yes. Get out."

This kid is made of win.
Adelynn wrote on 2010-11-15 18:06

I wonder if the kid that said that actually means it or just said it to get out of class, or both. :/
TA wrote on 2010-11-15 18:19

Quote from Cucurbita;216254:
Discussion is getting old.

And gets nowhere anyways.

Yeah... there really doesn't need to be one every single week, at minimum.
Omegatronic wrote on 2010-11-15 19:27

Quote from Justified;216269:
There are things that don't belong in schools, so I also agree with the teacher. A lesser example would be simple cussing. You have the right to do it, but do it in certain places and you'll be asked to leave. You can claim first amendment all you want, but as we've already agreed on with those funeral "Thank God for dead soldiers" thing, some things just don't belong.

Unlike the child in the video, the student lacked the eloquence allowed by practiced rhetoric. But, if you look at the bits and pieces of the conversation detailed by the teacher, you can follow the gist of what the fumbling for words student was arguing. The conversation was about support of an ideology. When the teacher asked the female student to remove the belt buckle, a symbol of support for an ideology, the class-suspended student sensed the hypocrisy. Why is one ideology allowed to show support while the other is not?

If class had not yet started and the teacher was free to discuss non-curriculum related material, a student should be allowed to present a contrary view. Unlike "Thank God for dead soldiers" his statement was a statement of fact not intended to offend anyone. He was taking part in a discussion allowed by the teacher, in an appropriate manner. He even raised his hand for a turn to speak. Whether an ideology is "good" or "bad" has no bearing on the first amendment.The teacher punished the student for voicing his beliefs. Even better than that though, in this one incident the teacher violated the first amendment a second time, when he deprived the female student of her freedom of expression to wear a belt buckle symbolizing her ideological belief.