Teacher Fired For Teaching Ethics?
by
In Grandfield,Oklahoma a teacher was recently suspended for teaching The Laramie Project,the play about the murder of Matthew Shepard, the gay college student who was killed in Wyoming.
Debra Taylor, who teaches the Ethics and Street Law class, was using pieces of the play to help her students examine how hatred and intolerance can be justified by attitudes within a community. Midway through the unit, Superintendent Ed Turlington told her to stop teaching the material. While attending an English class later in the day, the students complained about the unit being discontinued.
The teacher of that English class, who just happened to be the Superintendent’s wife, had the Superintendent reprimand the class. Students report Superintendent Turlington used hateful speech saying how much he disliked gays and blamed them for AIDS.
A week later Debra Taylor, after being told to discontinue the unit held a mock funeral for the play to give her students closure and help them move on past the controversy. She was subsequently suspended.
She has now accepted a resignation agreement, as she feared that she would otherwise be terminated. Her students are standing behind the play and their teacher.
It is a sad day for Oklahoma students when the academic freedom and judgment of a master teacher is questioned on the use of an appropriate model to educate on ethics regarding hate crimes and social injustice. The response of the Superintendent of the Grandfield, Oklahoma School District is not in concert with the intent of the course description.
This is an example of the need for educating administrators, teachers,and citizens about hate crimes based on sexual orientation.
TAKE ACTION NOW: call Superintendent Turlington at 580-479-5237 or send an email to eturlington@grandfield.k12.ok.us and tell him to reinstate Debra Taylor.
TAKE ACTION NOW: Write the Grandfield School Board
Attention: Jeff Coody, Matt Clemmer, Ronnie Lindsey, Danny Palmer, & Ben Bryan Grandfield School Board 811 W. 4th Grandfield, Oklahoma 73546
Tell them Debra Taylor did not deserve this kind of treatment. Young people need dedicated teachers willing to confront issues of respect, hate crimes, religious violence, and acceptance for people of all sexual orientations. She should be commended for creating a safe space for her students to discuss issues of injustice and should be reinstated immediately.
TAKE ACTION NOW: Contact our State School Superintendent and register a complaint.
State Superintendent Sandy Garrett State Department of Education 2500 North Lincoln Boulevard Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599
Phone: (405) 521-3301
Email: Sandy_Garrett@sde.state.ok.us
Did You Enjoy this Post? Subscribe to Left News and Views. It's Free!
Leave a Reply