Brave, articulate young man!

[marshlander]

Here is a news report of a teacher who was disciplined with loss of work and earnings for attempting to deal with a homophobic incident in his classroom. He was charged with violating the student's rights to free speech.

Mich. Teacher Ejects Student for Anti-Gay Remarks - ABC News ([Only registered and activated users can see links])

At the school board's hearing,a student from another district, fourteen year old Graeme Taylor, gave this very articulate presentation in what must have been a very intimidating situation. What an achievement!

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I am a frequent visitor to schools and I have generally taken it upon myself, if occasion demands, to deal directly with any homophobic incident in my workshops. I have never felt it necessary to throw someone out of the session. I'm in a fortunate situation, maybe. I'm generally only in a school for a day or less and the worst that can happen is they don't invite me back.

What would you have done?

[eastofeden]

:respect:Graham is my new hero.......seriously......

When I grow up I want to be just like him

[Sil]

good lad! :)

I'm pleasently surprised at the level of clarity and delivery for such a young guy, very impressive. If only we could have more kids like this in schools.

[marshlander]

... If only we could have more kids like this in schools.
You know I think there are plenty of them out there. Let's not be fooled by the popular image of grunting, monosyllabic adolescents. This young man is, though, just a bit exceptional :smile: and his parents must be pretty cool too.

[XRIMO]

I saw this on another site, and wow this kid is amazing. If the teacher is prosecuted or punished then those people have no feelings whatsoever.

[OrphanPip]

While I have to identify with what the teacher was trying to do, I'm not sure it was appropriate behavior in a public school. Homophobic bullying shouldn't be tolerated, but wearing a pro-gay rights t-shirt to a class is kinda inviting discussion, and when you invite discussion differing opinions should be tolerated. When I was in high school the biology teacher opened the floor for the nature/nurture debate about homosexuality (gay marriage was just recently legalized in Canada that year), and in a predominantly working class neighbourhood with a lot of children of Caribbean immigrants, you can expect that a lot of anti-gay, often religiously motivated, opinions were expressed. The teacher responded with debate not punishment, which I think is the appropriate response.

If someone in that class had started insulting another student directly, or using slurs, then kicking them out of class would have been more understandable.

[Aaycle]

I am in agreement, that this young man is exemplary in his intelligence, support, and martyrdom. However, it does, not boil down to eloquent speeches, and unflinching support. It is an amendment issue, which will have to be supported, if it is to be respected. The teacher's punishment must stand to preserve the law and un-invite future acts of bias in a public forum.

[princealbertofb]

I saw this on another site, and wow this kid is amazing. If the teacher is prosecuted or punished then those people have no feelings whatsoever.

... AND no sense of justice?

[princealbertofb]

But then what am I talking about? What was the teacher blamed for?

[OrphanPip]

The teacher got a slap on the wrist, a one day suspension.

I don't think it's so cut and dry how much right a teacher really has to silence reprehensible opinions. Students have a right to be protected against discrimination, and the students were being deliberately provocative, but I don't think it really merited punishment. Their insolence for not dropping the subject when asked to warranted punishment more than what they said.

But then what am I talking about? What was the teacher blamed for?

A student came in with a Confederate flag belt buckle, and was asked to remove it. Another student asked what the difference was between the Confederate flag and the Gay Pride flag was, and he responded to the teacher's response with something along the lines of he not accepting gays because of his religion. The teacher told him he couldn't say that in class, and when the kid repeated it, he was put in detention.

Teacher's are placed in uncomfortable positions, I don't think his intention was to punish the kids opinion, but it's silly to punish something when it has been brought up within the context of a debate.

[princealbertofb]

But surely it is the teacher's duty to keep things at a reasonable level of mutual comprehension. Sometimes expelling a student is the only way to deal with mounting tension, and a way to defuse the situation.

I'd also point out that since the kid has already mentioned that he didn't like gays, well, then he'd already voiced his opinion once. Where was the loss of freedom of speech?

[DRW]

Wow! I'm truly speechless!

[OrphanPip]

But surely it is the teacher's duty to keep things at a reasonable level of mutual comprehension. Sometimes expelling a student is the only way to deal with mounting tension, and a way to defuse the situation.

I'd also point out that since the kid has already mentioned that he didn't like gays, well, then he'd already voiced his opinion once. Where was the loss of freedom of speech?

I'm not sure there was mounting tension, the school board seems to have disagreed. The teacher was wearing a shirt about anti-gay bullying, he was inviting controversy. He was clearly silencing the opinion of the kid's opinion. Punishing disagreement is not acceptable behavior.

Opinions, even bad ones, should not be punished merely for being shared. The degree to which the student was being provocative and acting out is debatable, but he clearly felt he was silenced for having an opinion. If a teacher had expressed an anti-gay opinion and a student were punished for disagreeing with it, would we be having the same debate?

[princealbertofb]

I wouldn't agree with you, Pip about it inviting controversy. If he was wearing that T-shirt, it was probably to reinforce a rule that was badly enforced in the school or that was not sufficiently well known of the students. I would equate it with re-stating what the school rules are. They are NOT debatable. Anyone who doesn't agree with the rules can go and study elsewhere. Rules can be challenged but in the proper instances.

I know this has nothing to do with the actual debate here about gay-bullying, BULLYING which I find has no place in a school. However, it is a case in point. If the school does have anti-bullying policies and therefore rules to that effect, it should apply them and not pretend they don't exist.

I wasn't in the situation there, and would be hard pressed to say what really went on but I can see how it might have happened. In our school mobile phones are not allowed in the classroom and yet I find students using them daily. The student(s) may well disagree with this rule and think it is ok to use one while in class, but it doesn't make it any less reprehensible, if s/he should get caught using one. I often don't punish, but make a point of reminding them of the school rule. If they constantly disobey, I would be perfectly entitled to dismiss them, or give them detention for not obeying school policy, and disobeying me, or give them some extra work to drive the point home, maybe even write a word to the student's parents.

The rules are there to make the atmosphere of the class as fit for studying as is possible. Unruly students have to be warned, then punished if they transgress the rules that apply to everyone. It's a very fine line sometimes between what is bearable and what will eventually lead to chaos. Only the teacher can say what he is ready to put up with in terms of opposition in order to keep his class at a level of mutual understanding. If he felt he was losing it, his best option was probably to expell the students.

In the same way, I could be wearing a t-shirt saying: "Marijuana is illegal!" and that would probably invite controversy, but I'd be stating what legal rules apply in our country. Not that it would be my place, as a teacher, to punish those who contravene. But if students started being unruly about it and start a riot, then I wouldn't want to take the risk.

[marshlander]

Without knowing any more details it does look like a sequence of events that was allowed to spiral out of hand. We all know how these occur. Maybe the teacher could have handled it all in a different way, who knows. I suppose it has raised the profile of some issues, but it seems to have come horribly close to a pissing contest.

Anyway, Graeme Taylor is the man of the hour.

[princealbertofb]

YAY! Graeme Taylor!!! :mexicanwave:

[Mr. Not So Lonely]

I salute you young man you are indeed an inspiration to others and to myself

[princealbertofb]

Here's someone who really isn't very articulate, and who pushes people to their limits... just to illustrate the point I was making, which takes nothing away from Graeme's merits...
because GrAEME, HE'S BOVVERED!!! :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
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