[QUOTE=FatBaldGuy]
My thoughts are divided on this one. On the one hand, I completely agree with those who say that a person’s past choices should not be held against them. If she was a porn star in the past, that shouldn’t affect her teaching ability.
I also have no problem with a “religious” teacher, as long as she keeps her religious beliefs out of the classroom and teaches the approved curriculum.
On the other hand, I can see the dilemma in this particular situation, where the students have found out about her past and have circulated copies of the video amongst themselves. With high school boys being what they are, I can envision severe problems maintaining classroom decorum, avoiding pranks such as certain photos appearing on bulletin boards, having students snickering behind her back, etc.
I think the school board here was faced with a no-win situation. If they take the high road and keep the teacher on, they will have to deal with student issues. If they choose the path of least resistance and fire the teacher (or not renew her contract) then they are closed minded bigots.
Even though she may be an excellent teacher, is it realistic to assume that the students can forget her past, now that they know about it, and respect her as a teacher?
[/QUOTE]
Do you even hear what you’re saying?
Are you seriously advocating that the standard for making employment decisions should be “What will get 14-year-old boys going?” I remember being a 14-year-old boy. ANYTHING would get me going. Firing a teacher on this basis is asinine stupidity.
The argument you are advancing is the same one that goes, “We can’t allow people to show that/wear that/do that because it might excite a psychopath/rapist/whatever.” Such as, “If women were allowed to go around with their faces showing, men would rape them.” (Very popular in Saudi Arabia.) Or “If we allow images of women in bondage, however consensual, it will set psychopaths off and there’ll be a tidal wave of killing.” (Very popular with some feminists in the 80s.)
Now it’s “If we allow a woman who had once performed in porn, however private she keeps her porn-like activities nowadays, to teach, it will make her classes unmanageable.”
Smells like obvious bullshit to me. Maybe because of all the other, very similar-smelling bullshit that’s been used in the past.
Here’s the thing. The idea is not to crimp and malform the society of decent adult human beings until it won’t set off any psychopaths, rapists or 14-year-old boys.
The idea is to allow decent adult human beings to conduct themselves as they will, and make the frigging psychopaths, rapists and 14-year-old boys conform to the norms of human society.
Firing the teacher isn’t following the path of least resistance. It’s following the path of most stupidity.