When hate is taught in the classroom
>> Wednesday, November 12, 2008
I was only just made privy to an incident which took place in an 8th grade classroom right here in Oklahoma last week. It seems that an 8th grade home economics teacher in Kansas, Oklahoma informed her class that although she was a registered Democrat, she could not vote for a Muslim. She went on to tell her class that Barack Obama was an atheist, (how one can be both an atheist and a Muslim simultaneously is a new one on me), and that his wife, Michelle, only said that he was a Christian to get votes. This misinformed hate speech then prompted several members of the teacher's class to announce that they wanted to "assassinate Obama".
I don't know about you, but this kind of thing really gets under my skin. This woman has been given a tremendous responsibility in the teaching of our young people and to visit hatred, ignorance, and lies upon her charge is not only unthinkable and irresponsible, but illegal. This needs to be brought to the attention of her superiors and this teacher needs to be severely disciplined. I have therefore provided information below where her superiors can be contacted. Let them know that this kind of hate speech coming from teachers in our Public School classrooms will not be tolerated!
Have at it!
The teacher in question is:
Beth Williams
Family & Consumer Science
Kansas Middle School
Kansas, Oklahoma
Bryon Arnold is the Kansas Middle School Principal
Position: Principal
Email: bryon@kansasps.com
Burgess, Jim
jim@kansasps.com This is the Superintendent's email address.
8 comments:
Wow. Incredible!
Is there any place else where this has been reported? It's not that I don't believe you. I completely do. But I would like to pass on this story to my politics list and the conservatives will demand more proof. If it hasn't been reported elsewhere, that's okay. :-)
This isn't one of your kids' school, is it?
There's probably a lawsuit in this somewhere. If the Board of Education in that district has anyone with brains on it, it would behoove them to fire this teacher.
I find it amazing that someone could make it through 4 years of college and still be that ignorant.
It came from a woman who is on a political e-list to which I belong. I really can't reveal the details because it involves a member of her family. However, this list to which I belong is taking action and one of our members is reporting it to the Tulsa media sources today. Many of us have sent emails to the teacher and her superiors already. If it doesn't get out today on the news, it will within the next few days, I'm sure.
No, it doesn't involve my kids. My girls are both in college and my son is a junior in high school in Oklahoma City. This town is in eastern Oklahoma, just between Tulsa and the Arkansas border.
Here's the email that I sent:
"Attn: Beth Williams
Cc: Byron Arnold, Jim Burgess
To Whom It May Concern:
It has come to my attention that an 8th grade home economics teacher in the Kansas Middle School last week informed her class that although she was a registered Democrat, she could not vote for a Muslim. She went on to tell her class that Barack Obama was an atheist, (how one can be both an atheist and a Muslim simultaneously is a new one on me), and that his wife, Michelle, only said that he was a Christian to get votes. This misinformed hate speech then prompted several members of the teacher's class to announce that they wanted to "assassinate Obama".
I don't know about you, but this kind of thing really gets under my skin. This woman has been given a tremendous responsibility in the teaching of our young people and to visit hatred, ignorance, and lies upon her charge is not only unthinkable and irresponsible, but illegal. I am therefore writing this to demand not only that this teacher give a public retraction of her false statements, but an apology to her class and I demand as a citizen of the State of Oklahoma that the teacher in question be disciplined by her superiors.
This kind of misinformed and dangerous hate speech visited upon our school children by those who are in charge of them will not be tolerated!
Sincerely,
Lynette Erwin
Stillwater, Oklahoma"
Thanks for the info. I completely understand. I hope that it does get into the news. This sort of bigotry should can only be addressed by exposing it.
This place called 'Oklahoma' is starting to scare the hell out of me.
One has to look at the culture that provides this type of racist, hateful enviroments for their young to grown up in. It is only my guess but I would say, that some of the learning begins at home in this case.
I am seeing time and time again censorhip in Oklahoma papers, politics and now the schools. Why am I not surprised.
I am truly saddened.
This teacher would receive my douchebag award.
Thanks for this info. Speaking out about this nonsense is just one of the ways we can put an end to this
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