• Academic freedom

    From Adam H. Kerman@3:633/280.2 to All on Wed Apr 24 18:20:00 2024
    Student suspended for using term 'illegal alien' in English class
    by Brianna Kraemer
    The Carolina Journal
    April 15, 2024 https://www.carolinajournal.com/student-suspended-for-using-term-illegal-alien-in-english-class/

    A boy was given a vocabularly assignment, including the word "alien". He
    asked about space aliens or "illegal aliens without green cards". He
    had heard the terms on the news and wanted to understand what was being
    asked of him. He wasn't directing it at Hispanics but anyone from
    another country.

    A Hispanic boy threatened to fight him, so the teacher called the
    assistant principal who solved the problem by deeming the question
    "offensive and disrespectful to classmates who are Hispanic".

    The boy who asked the question was suspended for three days and has a
    black mark on his permanent record which could interfere with getting a
    college scholarship. The other boy who took offense and made the threat
    was not disciplined at all.

    Gee. The teacher could have made this a teachable moment on use of
    vocabulary (I could have sworn that was the assignment) and seeing
    things from the perspective of another to not give offense and holding
    one's temper to not take offense. But there's always an assistant
    principal to make things worse.

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    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (3:633/280.2@fidonet)
  • From moviePig@3:633/280.2 to All on Thu Apr 25 02:01:26 2024
    On 4/24/2024 9:42 AM, anim8rfsk wrote:
    Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
    Student suspended for using term 'illegal alien' in English class
    by Brianna Kraemer
    The Carolina Journal
    April 15, 2024
    https://www.carolinajournal.com/student-suspended-for-using-term-illegal-alien-in-english-class/

    A boy was given a vocabularly assignment, including the word "alien". He
    asked about space aliens or "illegal aliens without green cards". He
    had heard the terms on the news and wanted to understand what was being
    asked of him. He wasn't directing it at Hispanics but anyone from
    another country.

    A Hispanic boy threatened to fight him, so the teacher called the
    assistant principal who solved the problem by deeming the question
    "offensive and disrespectful to classmates who are Hispanic".

    The boy who asked the question was suspended for three days and has a
    black mark on his permanent record which could interfere with getting a
    college scholarship. The other boy who took offense and made the threat
    was not disciplined at all.

    Gee. The teacher could have made this a teachable moment on use of
    vocabulary (I could have sworn that was the assignment) and seeing
    things from the perspective of another to not give offense and holding
    one's temper to not take offense. But there's always an assistant
    principal to make things worse.


    Let’s point out that these aren’t little kids. These aren’t second graders.
    These are 16-year-olds. These are young men, halfway through high school,
    old enough to drive.

    People in the school administration need to lose their jobs over this.

    Might've had to be in the classroom. Maybe even in the class. For days.



    --- MBSE BBS v1.0.8.4 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (3:633/280.2@fidonet)
  • From BTR1701@3:633/280.2 to All on Thu Apr 25 03:43:03 2024
    In article <v0afbg$27a2q$1@dont-email.me>,
    "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

    Student suspended for using term 'illegal alien' in English class
    by Brianna Kraemer
    The Carolina Journal
    April 15, 2024 https://www.carolinajournal.com/student-suspended-for-using-term-illegal-alien
    -in-english-class/

    A boy was given a vocabularly assignment, including the word "alien". He asked about space aliens or "illegal aliens without green cards". He
    had heard the terms on the news and wanted to understand what was being
    asked of him. He wasn't directing it at Hispanics but anyone from
    another country.

    A Hispanic boy threatened to fight him, so the teacher called the
    assistant principal who solved the problem by deeming the question
    "offensive and disrespectful to classmates who are Hispanic".

    The boy who asked the question was suspended for three days and has a
    black mark on his permanent record which could interfere with getting a college scholarship. The other boy who took offense and made the threat
    was not disciplined at all.

    Before the ACLU became a quasi-communist political action committee,
    this is the kind of case they would have instantly jumped on. Now
    citizens are left to fund their own lawsuits if they want to hold the government accountable for violating the 1st Amendment.

    Gee. The teacher could have made this a teachable moment on use of
    vocabulary (I could have sworn that was the assignment) and seeing
    things from the perspective of another to not give offense and holding
    one's temper to not take offense. But there's always an assistant
    principal to make things worse.

    --- MBSE BBS v1.0.8.4 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/280.2@fidonet)