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Stonepounder

(4,033 posts)
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 01:10 PM Dec 2019

Three Utah Girls Stood Up To a Teacher Who Condemned a Boy For Having Two Dads

There is some hope in the world today. Stumbled across this article and thought it worth sharing.


Three Utah Girls Stood Up To a Teacher Who Condemned a Boy For Having Two Dads

A group of girls knew exactly what to do when they heard their fifth-grade substitute teacher at Deerfield Elementary School in Utah castigate a classmate who said that, for Thanksgiving, he was most thankful that he was “finally going to be adopted by my two dads.” The teacher launched into a 10-minute lecture on why “two men living together is a sin,” so the girls protested. Several times.

When their efforts failed to deter the teacher, the three girls left the room to get the principal and the teacher was escorted unceremoniously out of the classroom.

Courtney Tanner of the Salt Lake Tribune tells the story:

Students later said that the substitute snapped, “Why on earth would you be happy about that?”

For the next 10 minutes she lectured the 30 kids in the class about her own views, how “homosexuality is wrong” and “two men living together is a sin.” She looked at the boy, too, and told him: “That’s nothing to be thankful for.”



“She also tried to blame our son,” said one of the boy’s dads, Louis van Amstel, “and told him that it was his fault that she went off.”

For their part, the school seems to have handled everything properly. They alerted van Amstel and his husband Josh almost immediately. They said disciplinary action would be taken against the substitute teacher (though we don’t know details).



Full article at:

https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2019/11/30/three-utah-girls-stood-up-to-a-teacher-who-condemned-a-boy-for-having-two-dads/
52 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Three Utah Girls Stood Up To a Teacher Who Condemned a Boy For Having Two Dads (Original Post) Stonepounder Dec 2019 OP
Yeah for these young women for standing up for their classmate Gothmog Dec 2019 #1
Some people must be so completely unhappy with their own lives DFW Dec 2019 #2
Addition to being totally Wellstone ruled Dec 2019 #4
Three fifth-grade girls acted, and fast! Bet their parents are proud Hortensis Dec 2019 #3
"The Greta Effect" - kids (girls esp) calling out semi empowered BS Maine-i-acs Dec 2019 #5
That's a good one. efhmc Dec 2019 #31
+1,000 I think you've got something there! Canoe52 Dec 2019 #44
Hey, that's professional ballroom dancer Louis van Amstel! tanyev Dec 2019 #6
So real and sweet what he was sharing and that nastiness hurt him efhmc Dec 2019 #32
+1 -K&R onetexan Dec 2019 #51
evangelical assholes think everyone should be dragged into their cult Hermit-The-Prog Dec 2019 #7
Different Cult aeromanKC Dec 2019 #10
she was evangelizing her cult to indoctrinate the children Hermit-The-Prog Dec 2019 #13
How despicable, irrespective of her "religion." Haggis for Breakfast Dec 2019 #34
as Elijah Cummings said, it's not the deed, it's the *memory* Hermit-The-Prog Dec 2019 #37
The neighborhood where the two men live Haggis for Breakfast Dec 2019 #39
That is great! Scarsdale Dec 2019 #47
It's Utah . . . Richard D Dec 2019 #14
Probably not customerserviceguy Dec 2019 #15
she was evangelizing her religion in a public school Hermit-The-Prog Dec 2019 #18
Same here customerserviceguy Dec 2019 #19
Mormons behind so much anti gay crap Don't forget the massive $$$ behind California Proposition 8 lunasun Dec 2019 #29
In addition to asking for Prop Hate donations from their lecterns... Raster Dec 2019 #45
How wonderful for this child to be adopted into a caring loving family..as for teacher RestoreAmerica2020 Dec 2019 #8
This message was self-deleted by its author Iggo Dec 2019 #9
How many of these children are she and her church willing to adopt? keithbvadu2 Dec 2019 #11
What a disgusting pig Nature Man Dec 2019 #12
If those were my kids, I'd be so proud! Remember that DU post about how the Hebrew word Karadeniz Dec 2019 #16
2 points demigoddess Dec 2019 #17
Kudos to these brave girls for standing up for what they believe is right. smirkymonkey Dec 2019 #20
Her punishment will at least be that her local school district(s) will lose her phone number. CaptYossarian Dec 2019 #21
She'll probably now find full time employment at some wretched religious school. hunter Dec 2019 #25
Not okay to do ever but especially not in front of the child who was sharing efhmc Dec 2019 #22
A commenter at Joe.My.God posted a tweet about this. mahatmakanejeeves Dec 2019 #23
I would have staged an Animal House style walk out. Initech Dec 2019 #24
Right you are!! We didn't give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor !! MasonDreams Dec 2019 #41
Well I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you bad mouth the United States Of America. Gentlemen! Initech Dec 2019 #42
Thanks, I love it!! Double Secret Probation MasonDreams Dec 2019 #43
This is not the 1950s. It's the goddamn 21st century. We should be done with this shit. BuffaloJackalope Dec 2019 #26
The Republicans want to restore legal protection to bigotry like that. AtheistCrusader Dec 2019 #50
Louis van Amstel used to be a pro dancer on Dancing With the Stars. 50 Shades Of Blue Dec 2019 #27
Needs to go & now lunasun Dec 2019 #28
School districts should do a better job of training their teachers and subs TexasBushwhacker Dec 2019 #30
I read that she was a substitute teacher (?) YOHABLO Dec 2019 #33
She worked for an outside contractor, Kelly Services. Haggis for Breakfast Dec 2019 #35
OMG that's even worse. They hire subs from Kelly Services? YOHABLO Dec 2019 #36
Apparently a contract bid took place and Kelly Services won over the others. Haggis for Breakfast Dec 2019 #38
I'm With You ProfessorGAC Dec 2019 #48
Pretty sad. Unfortunately that bad memory will PatrickforO Dec 2019 #40
Substitute teacher asshole mdbl Dec 2019 #46
Utah. You know? /nt bucolic_frolic Dec 2019 #49
perhaps the said teacher should also look up the passage about judging someone . AllaN01Bear Dec 2019 #52

DFW

(54,055 posts)
2. Some people must be so completely unhappy with their own lives
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 01:18 PM
Dec 2019

It turns into unsupressed anger, which is then leveled at those with the least chance, or right, to speak up for themselves.

Ugly, unhappy people. While I don't contest their right to exist, I protest as loudly as I can their being EVER placed in front of children in a classroom, whether in Utah or in Kahandar.

 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
4. Addition to being totally
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 01:25 PM
Dec 2019

brain-washed by their Religion. And being Utah,this is not the first or will it be the last. The Dominate Religion in the State is so spiteful and backassward to reality that about 60% of the population suffers from the same Stockholm Syndrome effect.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
3. Three fifth-grade girls acted, and fast! Bet their parents are proud
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 01:23 PM
Dec 2019

of them. And of course that boy got good support from them and no doubt others.

tanyev

(42,360 posts)
6. Hey, that's professional ballroom dancer Louis van Amstel!
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 01:30 PM
Dec 2019

Bravo for the three girls and best wishes to boy and his dads.

efhmc

(14,709 posts)
32. So real and sweet what he was sharing and that nastiness hurt him
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 08:05 PM
Dec 2019

for her own "cause" and cult.

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,039 posts)
13. she was evangelizing her cult to indoctrinate the children
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 02:38 PM
Dec 2019

Anyone trying to impose their religious beliefs on others is evangelizing.

Haggis for Breakfast

(6,831 posts)
34. How despicable, irrespective of her "religion."
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 10:58 PM
Dec 2019

That little boy has been a foster child for years. He has been through TWO failed foster situations. Along come two men, who love each other, and they decide to adopt that boy to give him a home, a family and a place to be safe and loved. And then this despicable woman decides to vomit her ideology onto that entire classroom, singling out that sweet child. He was then terrified that the adoption would fall apart and he'd be left behind . . . again.

I don't understand these people and their sick, festering hate. But they need to keep their fucking mouths shut and keep it to themselves.

Oh and that adoption takes place on December 19th. Happy family day to all three of those guys. I have a feeling that is going to be a very happy, loving family.

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,039 posts)
37. as Elijah Cummings said, it's not the deed, it's the *memory*
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 11:13 PM
Dec 2019

That boy, and every child in that room, will carry the memory she created. Thankfully, the class rejected her and supported the boy.

Cummings talking about the children in cages:


Haggis for Breakfast

(6,831 posts)
39. The neighborhood where the two men live
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 11:15 PM
Dec 2019

also supported them. When the guys came home after the ordeal, their front door and garage doors were covered in hearts and messages of support.

Scarsdale

(9,426 posts)
47. That is great!
Mon Dec 2, 2019, 08:07 AM
Dec 2019

Religion causes more destruction than just about anything. So glad to hear that the neighbors are supportive. They know these guys, so that is good. Good for the girls who also stood up for the boy. Their parents should be proud of them. Louis is a GREAT dancer, by the way.

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
15. Probably not
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 02:56 PM
Dec 2019

evangelical, probably Mormon. I lived in Kaysville, UT for about six months, Salt Lake City is not as Mormon as you'd think, but those suburban communities are about 90% LDS.

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,039 posts)
18. she was evangelizing her religion in a public school
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 03:07 PM
Dec 2019

I don't care if it's Southern Baptist, Mormon, or Cosmic Dog Fart Creationism, she was evangelizing her cult -- trying to indoctrinate children with her religious beliefs, in spite of the setting in a school funded by the public.

"Evangelical" is not a trademark.

lunasun

(21,646 posts)
29. Mormons behind so much anti gay crap Don't forget the massive $$$ behind California Proposition 8
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 07:31 PM
Dec 2019

$22 million est. They got a special history out there not just another religion in town
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/8:_The_Mormon_Proposition

Raster

(20,996 posts)
45. In addition to asking for Prop Hate donations from their lecterns...
Mon Dec 2, 2019, 06:00 AM
Dec 2019

...when they got caught, THEY. LIED. ABOUT. IT.

Full disclosure. Born and raised in the mormon church in southeast Arizona, you know, the other Utah. Now a recovered mormon, and WELL AWARE of the church's sordid history.

Further disclosure: Natural-born, normal, intelligent gay man that no longer tolerates any of the skygod superstitions and other religious bullshit.

RestoreAmerica2020

(3,433 posts)
8. How wonderful for this child to be adopted into a caring loving family..as for teacher
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 02:21 PM
Dec 2019

..f$%$ her. A person like that should not be allowed near children-- in any circumstances! Unfortunstely public and pvt schools harbor these folks. Isn't pence's wife working at a school that preaches and or prohibit gay children/teachers...so "khristian" of them. F#@% them too.

Response to Stonepounder (Original post)

keithbvadu2

(36,369 posts)
11. How many of these children are she and her church willing to adopt?
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 02:33 PM
Dec 2019

How many of these children are she and her church willing to adopt?

There are enough 'Christians' and churches to adopt that there would be no kids left to adopt.

No other kids that would need to be adopted.

Karadeniz

(22,279 posts)
16. If those were my kids, I'd be so proud! Remember that DU post about how the Hebrew word
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 03:03 PM
Dec 2019

In Leviticus should be translated as youth rather than another man?

demigoddess

(6,640 posts)
17. 2 points
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 03:04 PM
Dec 2019

1. good for those girls!!!!!
2. why can't these religious idiots just let God sort it out? Obviously he must have created gay people, so maybe he doesn't hate them. Let Him sort it.

 

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)
20. Kudos to these brave girls for standing up for what they believe is right.
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 03:23 PM
Dec 2019

And I am sorry that poor boy had to go through such a humiliating experience at the hand of the ignorant substitute teacher. I hope she is never allowed back in that school again. No child should have to endure a tirade based upon a bigot's opinion of their family structure. I am glad these girls were there to support him.

CaptYossarian

(6,448 posts)
21. Her punishment will at least be that her local school district(s) will lose her phone number.
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 03:24 PM
Dec 2019

And she may be subbing to get a permanent contract. Good luck with her professional references. She's toast.

hunter

(38,264 posts)
25. She'll probably now find full time employment at some wretched religious school.
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 05:55 PM
Dec 2019

This incident will put her at the top of their hiring list.




efhmc

(14,709 posts)
22. Not okay to do ever but especially not in front of the child who was sharing
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 03:33 PM
Dec 2019

something proud and happy for him.

mahatmakanejeeves

(56,897 posts)
23. A commenter at Joe.My.God posted a tweet about this.
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 05:30 PM
Dec 2019

Hat tip, Joe.My.God:

Scandals Stall Navy Plan To Expand SEAL Platoons
November 30, 2019

MikeBx2 • a day ago
ot
The substitute was escorted out of the building.

An 11-year-old told his class he was thankful that his dads were going to adopt him, and the substitute teacher told him “that’s nothing to be thankful for.”

The three girls who stood up for this boy and went to get the principal are actual heroes.



A Utah substitute told fifth graders that ‘homosexuality is wrong.’ She was escorted out after 3 students spoke up.

By Courtney Tanner · Published: 2 days ago
Updated: 1 day ago

When it was finally his turn to answer, the fifth grade boy knew exactly what he wanted to say.

It was the week before Thanksgiving, and the substitute teacher had asked the boy’s class: “What are you thankful for this year?” Some of the kids had said turkey and mashed potatoes. One girl mentioned her dog. Another student joked about not having to go to school over the holiday.

The boy’s response was a bit more serious. “I’m thankful that I’m finally going to be adopted by my two dads,” he answered.

Students later said that the substitute snapped, “Why on earth would you be happy about that?”

For the next 10 minutes she lectured the 30 kids in the class about her own views, how “homosexuality is wrong” and “two men living together is a sin.” She looked at the boy, too, and told him: “That’s nothing to be thankful for.”

Three girls asked her to stop multiple times. But she continued, so they walked out of the room to get the principal.

As the substitute was escorted out of the building, she was still arguing, trying to make her point, the boy’s fathers say they were told by school officials.

“She also tried to blame our son,” said one of the boy’s dads, Louis van Amstel, “and told him that it was his fault that she went off.”
....

Initech

(99,915 posts)
24. I would have staged an Animal House style walk out.
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 05:38 PM
Dec 2019

Someone like that should not be teaching public school.

MasonDreams

(756 posts)
43. Thanks, I love it!! Double Secret Probation
Mon Dec 2, 2019, 02:06 AM
Dec 2019

No more fun of any kind !! My advice to you is to start drinking heavily. Senator Blutarsky for president !!!

 

BuffaloJackalope

(818 posts)
26. This is not the 1950s. It's the goddamn 21st century. We should be done with this shit.
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 06:16 PM
Dec 2019

That teacher should lose her job & lose her certification, and the school district should provide a written apology to that family.

TexasBushwhacker

(20,044 posts)
30. School districts should do a better job of training their teachers and subs
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 07:44 PM
Dec 2019

They don't have the right to inflict their personal beliefs on an innocent child.

When I was a science teacher back in the 80s, we had a substitute "teach" her class that modern men have one less rib than women, because God made Eve from Adam's rib.

 

YOHABLO

(7,358 posts)
33. I read that she was a substitute teacher (?)
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 10:57 PM
Dec 2019

She should be reprimanded severely. I would not even allow her to substitute again for any grade. It's none of her damn business. I'd like to know what the administration is doing about this.

ProfessorGAC

(64,425 posts)
48. I'm With You
Mon Dec 2, 2019, 08:29 AM
Dec 2019

Since I retired, I sub a couple times a week, mostly science & math, 6th to 12th grade.
I would NEVER consider discussing any social issue, unless directly asked, & I knew I could give a neutral response.
No training should be necessary for someone to have the decency to avoid comment on such issues.
She should simply know better!

PatrickforO

(14,516 posts)
40. Pretty sad. Unfortunately that bad memory will
Mon Dec 2, 2019, 12:43 AM
Dec 2019

stick with this young man for the rest of his life - just because some twisted up puritanical protestant fanatic couldn't keep from spouting her beliefs.

The substitute will likely not work for that district again, which is a hardship she brought on herself with her big judgmental mouth.

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