Is it too late to let Texas secede?
[O]n January 7th, a student in my classroom in second period left my class, went to the Principal’s office, and told him that there was an inappropriate discussion in my classroom… Her mother came to class on January 7th, came to the school January 7th, very upset… She accused me of being an atheist, saying I was too liberal, and that I allowed the students to talk about inappropriate things in the classroom. I told her that occasionally students would get on topics and say things, but I was unable to censor them before they were able to say them. She said that I called her daughter a name and I denied the accusation. But then she said that I didn’t believe in god and shouldn’t be teaching. She also said that she had spoken to 3 other board members who agreed with her that I shouldn’t be teaching because I was too liberal and I was an atheist. On January 16th, I was called to Mr. Richard Turner’s office (my principal), and he informed me that I had been put on administrative leave with pay. The reasons, as stated to me by Mr. Turner at the time, were that I was accused of being an atheist and teaching atheism in the classroom, and I was too liberal.
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Before I moved to Mississippi, things like this would have surprised me. Now…not so much. That is truly a sad commentary on the American south.
This story is just horrible! I hate how so many people feel that morality and god are tied together. Also, it disturbs me that people feel there are subjects that are inappropriate to talk about in a high school classroom. When teens are told that they can't talk about something, it makes them want to talk about it more. If topics like sex, drugs and alcohol were talked about more they wouldn't be so exciting and teens would have the correct facts about them instead of myths.
This story is very disturbing. I agree with Goddless_Woman's point about the absurdity of linking morality and god. And I thought education ought to be about liberalism -- about encouraging people to question and think outside of the box. I am so glad I spent 30 years in a classroom in the UK and NOT in Mississippi. There is something so very dangerously oppressive about religion in America. It reminds me of Iran at times!
A great point. The level of psychotic unthinking religiosity in this country is off the charts. I am sure a disabled black lesbian muslim would be elected in this country before an atheist.
In some places we make progress and in other places we do not. Teaching in the US has always been political, and still is. The teacher in this story is the victum of a smear campain by a politicaly conected parent who is going to have problems down the road. In reality the true loser will be that complaining student.