Originally published at: Black student, harassed by teacher after refusing to stand for "Under God" flag pledge, wins $90,000 settlement | Boing Boing
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Arnold is still a teacher at Klein Oak High School, according to Courthouse News Service, and celebrated 50 years with the district in 2020.
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How do I enroll?
Also, fuck you. Some of us do like living in America, we just hate living here with people like you.
But I’ll take the trip, thanks.
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a judge removed the school from the case in an earlier hearing—and the Houston Chronicle reports that an association representing Texas school districts agreed to the settlement and paid for his defense
This baffles me because there’s evidence that shows that the school was more than aware of what was going on and did nothing to stop the harassment. And then they bankroll that piece of shit teacher in court?
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In high school we had a girl who was a Jehovah Witness and she went into the hallway when we sang O’Canada. She was ‘accommodated’ , but I never figured out if being in the hallway was a punishment/compromise or if she and her folks and the school were actually good with the arrangement.
In elementary we did a prayer - the public French-immersion school was run by catholic nuns - this was towards the end of blatant Catholic dominance over the French education system here. A classmate was Indigenous and I remember his family was always fighting to keep him in ‘regular’ class (nuns wanted him in their death-camp/residential school system).
All this difference of treatment back then, they why of it was never discussed… it just was. Sad that shit still goes on today. Those two kids were my friends and we were all targets of ignorant bullies.
I do recall inspection one morning in grade 6 and I had had enough - refused to show the principal/nun my hands… she yanked me out of line and in front of everyone else gave me a right thrashing. That was a turning point for me… I don’t show you my fingernails and you are allowed to physically assault me?
The shit that goes on in the name of education and allegiances and moral rightness.
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Here’s hoping he has to sell his house to make the payment.
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Because they agreed with it.
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Unfortunately, the article is behind a paywall.
I can only guess the following:
- the school would have a difficult time terminating the teacher, finding a replacement, or both,
- the school declined to defend the teacher, which is why the judge removed them, and the association stepped in,
- The association is a conservative group that is trying to erode civil liberties by supporting such lawsuits, and
- The association is paying the penalty, not the school, so, unfortunately, the school doesn’t have monetary damages to the school as a justification to terminate the teacher.
But hopefully the student has a decent college fund, and a good application essay story (small comfort for the inexcusable harrassment she suffered).
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It seems like other teachers participated in the harassment of the student, as did other students, and the administration did nothing to stop it.
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Klein Oak
I can see how the school might have avoided censure.
In topology, a branch of mathematics, the Klein bottle is an example of a non-orientable surface; it is a two-dimensional manifold against which a system for determining a normal vector cannot be consistently defined.
Typical of bigots, tying themselves in knots rather than facing up to the truth about themselves.
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Of course. It’s always, always so. much. worse. Especially when the victim is not RWCM(e).
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Oh Boy, I just want to live long enough for the GenZ & Millennials take control of the World, the pissing and moaning from the Right/GQP’ers will be music to my ears.
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Why would anyone need to make the same pledge after the first time? You either meant it the first time or you didn’t. Repeating it serves no logical purpose.
This whole thing is a hold-over from the Cold War, yet schools still make kids listen to it every damn day for 13 years of school. I say listen to it, because no one above grade 4 is saying it-- they’re just listening to it over the PA or listening to the teacher recite it.
I understand why someone would repeat a prayer or a mantra, but this is neither. Or it’s not supposed to be.
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One nation under God
You mean that this isn’t the Oath of Allegiance?
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I was shamed by my fifth grade teacher for this back in the long long ago. Little did i know i could have paid for college in the process.
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What are you talking about? Did I say the student should have to say the pledge? No. I said she get harassed by the school for NOT doing so… Why are you putting words in my mouth? I don’t support that fascist shit.
If you’re attempt to carry on the conversation from my point, then be more clear about it.
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For a supposed “Land of the Free,” y’all sure do have some weird near-mandatory stuff like the Pledge that I don’t think would ever fly in a Canadian public school.
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Not necessarily true. My school system where I grew up had phased it out by the time I was in 4th grade.
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Paraphrasing:
“I can have all the beliefs and resentment and animosity that I want.”
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The “under god” part, yes. But the pledge itself has some history that predates the Cold War. And it’s not pretty.
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