US School suspends teacher over facebook comments

aloyisious

West Virginian School Science teacher suspended over facebook comments on it's Gay/Straight Alliance group: http://www.queerty.com/west-virginia-teacher-suspended-for-mocking-his-schools-gaystraight-alliance-20140320/

Following his suspension, he puts up more facebook comments in connection with the matter, including these: “I love everyone and I promote fairness and equality. I have difficulty with favoritism and bias given any person or group.”

“Love you all. Get a concealed carry permit while u still can. Protect urself and ur(sic) family. Thank God for every breath he give u!!(sic)”

Ambersky

When I read this first before reading the article I thought that the teacher was suspended for Positive comments about the Gay Straight Alliance in school. I thought he was saying lovely things like how determined he was to stand up against bias and discrimination and how nowadays Americans need to protect themselves against a government that is so hung up on domestic security you need now to protect your family.

What an amazing example of reversal both from my origional thoughts and then in the teachers thinking around all those usual issues that get reversed in conversations recently.

Groups and individuals from those groups that have been silencing say they are the ones who need to speak up they are the ones silenced.
Group and individuals from those groups that have refused civil rights say their rights are being taken away.
Group and individuals from those groups that have used taunts bullying and beatings to segregate, now say they are against discrimination and favoritism of any kind.
Group that created laws to allow discrimination now say they are only looking for justice and you by not allowing them to discriminate are standing in the way of their rights.

Same language all over the world used by dominant groups during a backlash against non dominant groups when they begin to implement and even take for granted rights won. Same language here and same language used there with little additions of permit cards etc for local flavour.


There is another issue of course about employers using information gained in Facebook accounts against employees. Is that down to stupidity and leaving your facebook account open for employers to browse through just what you were up to at the weekend and every thought that goes through your head, was he being passive aggressive not allowed to speak his mind in school, or what? This is a new issue for me what to do with a teacher who posts comments against school policy on Facebook. In this case the comments were probably not just about a policy but would because of the subject matter be somehow against straight people being allies with gay students, acting as protection against bullying etc.

I find it interesting the school suspended him for those anti Gay Straight Alliance remarks. I dont think that would happen here whether the remarks were made in the staff room, or classroom, on the playing field or even in the local newspaper.
Seeing as religious run schools ( which between all churches is 96% primary sector) fought to gain and more recently to maintain an exemption from the Equality legislation which would have protected LGBT teachers from discrimination I wouldnt say we are in the same league in anti discrimination policy as the school in question.

Dr. Shrike

Science teacher??? Concealed guns??? Some might wonder if he should be allowed within 100 metres of a school due to the guns comment...