Teacher pursues free speech lawsuit

[proud2BlibKansan]

Teacher pursues free speech lawsuit

DEE J. HALL [e-mail]
December 26, 2005
In the tense months before the United States invaded Iraq, elementary school teacher Deb Mayer was asked by one of her students whether she'd ever join an anti-war protest. The question was prompted by a Time For Kids magazine story that Mayer's students had just read about a peace march in Washington, D.C.

Mayer, who had never been politically active, told her Bloomington, Ind., class that she sometimes blew her car horn to support demonstrators carrying "Honk for Peace" signs at the local courthouse. Mayer also told the class she thought it was important to seek out peaceful solutions before going to war.

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Mayer, 56, insists her contract to teach at Clear Creek Elementary School was not renewed because administrators and the parents of one of her students strongly disagreed with her pro-peace statements. In her lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Mayer alleges the school District violated her constitutional right to free speech.

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School officials contend Mayer was fired for poor performance in her alternative learning classroom, which included students in grades 4 through 6. They say Mayer's statements concerning peace were just a small part of the problem.

http://www.madison.com/toolbox/index.php?action=printme2&ref=wsj&storyURL=%2Fwsj%2Fmad%2Ftop%2Findex.php%3Fntid%3D66513%26ntpid%3D2

[ixion]

1. yes, those pesky peaceniks

:wtf: :grr: :eyes:

[Evergreen Emerald]

2. Seriously, how could someone be anti-peace?

"the parents of one of her students strongly disagreed with her pro-peace statements."

I get upset when one of my daughter's teachers attempts to push their agenda on her. For example, during Halloween, a fundamentalist gave a significant amount of homework that night because he said it was the "devil's holiday," and he did not want the kids to go out. I also disagreed with a teacher who, in grade school, told my daughter's class that there was no santa. However, this is different. It is not as if she was degrading the current administration, or forcing political views on the students. She was advocating peace first. Good God, who could be anti-peace?

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. It really isn't that different

She was promoting a political agenda. Teachers cannot do that. She is just as wrong as your daughter's teachers were.

Unfortunately, peace and the peace agenda are political views.

And if you read the article, you see there were other issues that played a part in her dismissal.

[Evergreen Emerald]

8. I understand there were other issues.

But peace is not a political agenda. If it is, then our country is worse than I thought (which I did not believe was possible).

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. That leads to an interesting debate

But I can understand how a school district would view peace as an agenda. Especially since we are at war.

[LWolf]

10. How about all those people

I experienced in the lead-up to, and very beginning, of the Iraq occupation? I was demonstrating every Friday night with a small group of people at the busy intersection next to the local mall. Down the street from my day job, teaching elementary school. I never brought my peace-loving pov to the classroom, at least not in a political way. But I didn't hide, either.

We got some people who would honk as they went by, or flash us a peace sign. We got some who would sit silently, staring ahead while we stood right next to their car, until the light changed and they could proceed, then they would hurriedly flash a peace sign at us that they hoped no one else noticed. Why?

It was the loud ones. The guys who threw things at us as they passed, screaming, "WE NEED WAR!!!!"

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. I oftentimes have people I meet ask me if I am teaching my students

about peace or telling them that bush is bad.

Many who are not in our profession don't seem to understand we can't do that.

My dad, who was a principal, didn't even put political bumper stickers on his car and he chastised me for doing so.

All we can really do is hope our kids open their eyes and see the injustice of war and the hope of the peace movement. And teach them to think critically while we wait for them to hopefully adopt the 'right' political views.

[LWolf]

12. Teaching kids about peace:

In elementary school, we do it by teaching them to find peaceful solutions to their personal/peer conflicts. By teaching them to talk about problems in a respectful way, to cooperate with others when they don't always get their way or get to be in charge, to care about the welfare of others.

For young kids, we get to make the connection from themselves, to their families, to our classroom, and to their neighborhoods and communities. We usually call it "respect," not "peace." But isn't that what we are really doing? Teaching them how to disagree respectfully, converse respectfully, work and play together respectfully, have some empathy for others, and participate in their class, school, neighborhood, and community in positive ways?

We don't have to bring up national wars, if we are teaching them not to war among their peers.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. Excellent point

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

4. WTF?? I expected something a lot more severe. That's just horrible

I'm shaking my head with this one. It is unbelievable to me that teaching our children that peaceful alternatives should be sought prior to war is now grounds for discipline. What pisses me off even more is that the officials didn't deny that was the reason. Though they cited greater supposed reasons, just the fact they said that was still a problem is fucking disgraceful!

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. I understand why she lost her job

I am an elementary teacher too. Although I have great sympathy for this woman, I would never have said what she did and I understand why she lost her job.

Does that make it right? Hell no. But we sign contracts. It is very clear that our constitutional rights to free speech do not extend to sharing our personal politics with our students in the manner that this teacher did.

When children ask 'hot potato' questions, we are trained to turn the thinking back to them and to guide them in discussions. Every presidential election, several students ask me who I am going to vote for. I always ask them who they think I should vote for. I usually then compose a chart comparing the candidates' positions on several key issues. That opens up a discussion and presents instructional opportunities for building critical thinking and problem solving skills. The interesting thing is that most kids then choose the Democratic candidate; they can tell who is really looking out for their interests.


THAT is what I am paid to do; I am not paid to indoctrinate the kids.

Our role as teachers is to teach students how to think, not to tell them what to believe.

The school district has no right to restrict a teacher's political activities outside his/her classroom. I regularly participate in anti-war rallies and I have worked on many political campaigns, both local and national. During the presidential election last year, I even ran into several parents of my students who had also volunteered to work for Kerry. And when I went to stand with Cindy in Crawford in August, I was praised by several of my district administrators.

But even though I know my political leanings are probably also held by most of the people I work for and by the parents and community members, I also understand that I take my partisan hat off when I stand in front of my students. This teacher has learned that lesson the hard way, unfortunately.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

6. Sorry, But That One Doesn't Fly For Me.

A statement that peaceful solutions should be sought prior to war is just simply good fucking advice that transcends politics. I'm shocked that such a simple sentiment of human decency is now considered political rhetoric.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. It is a political position; we are at war

We cannot indoctrinate kids. She should have led her students into researching the peace movement. They could have even interviewed her and she could have shared her views that way.

There are several smart ways to get around this. She took the wrong path.

The other key point is that they were able to dismiss her for several other reasons as well. So she had some competence issues, at least her employer thought she did. Because of that, she should have kept her mouth shut.

It is difficult to build a case and fire a teacher, especially if he/she is tenured. Looks like the district did their homework. They were concerned about her competence and then she made the mistake of sharing her political views with her students. She really should have been more careful.