# School fires teacher because her jailed ex might cause trouble when he gets out? Right call or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 13, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907 "2013-06-13T15:42:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/61 "2013-06-13T21:52:10Z")
I doubt that her employment record shows any black mark. She didn’t do anything wrong. The school probably agreed to give her a letter of positive recommendation. Her services just weren’t needed. She of course has released this on the Internet. So now the story will follow her anywhere she goes. The stalker/spouse horror stories would be enough to make me move. Get as far away as possible while they got that guy locked up. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/62 "2013-06-13T22:03:02Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > First of all, I was stating my own conclusion. And that’s my opinion as a Christian: that a good many atheists have a better idea of what Jesus was about than most Christians do. > > Sucks, but that’s life.Whether one believes in Jesus’ divinity or not, Jesus is recorded as having said more than a few things. Whether one even believes that those were Jesus’ words or not, one can basically ask, “assuming Jesus said the things the Bible says he said, and did the non-miraculous things the Bible says he did, what was he about?” and come up with a pretty good answer by reading the Gospels. Those same words are available to everyone. So there’s no reason why an atheist can’t have confidence in his reading of those words; a belief in Jesus’ divinity is only going to make a difference in interpretation in matters that don’t have much to do with this life anyway. > > For instance, if sins of sexual immorality trouble a Christian more than sins of hardness of heart, there’s not much support for that in the words of Jesus; quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. And the atheist can see that just as well as the Christian can. What’s troubling is that far too many supposed Christians _can’t_ see that very well. I think that’s a very facile analysis. Presumably the Christian believe that the Bible as a whole is divinely inspired, and thus other books must be read in at least some harmony with Jesus’ words. Paul’s teachings certainly take a stronger position on certain aspects of sexual immorality, and the Christian, by virtue of his belief in the divine imprimatur, can certainly give those words weight. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/63 "2013-06-13T22:04:38Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Didn’t he teach that his followers could do the same thing if they just believed? No. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/64 "2013-06-13T22:11:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You actually think _that_ was my interpretation of the verse? I _know_ what it means-I was castigating that school system for not following it. > “WWJD”, in your opinion? The school system was ensuring, as best they could, that children were not killed; I have no idea what relevance you believe the passage has to this situation. Nor, frankly, do I believe that Jesus’ teachings have much in the way of direct guidance here. I can tell you what I think Jesus would have wanted, but I don’t pretend that my opinion is the only reasonable one. Jesus would have urged that the woman be helped, but not by continuing to employ her. I think the Christlike thing to do would be for everyone at the school to give, and the school itself kick in, enough money for her to relocate out of state – perhaps even to change her name. I suppose it’s possible she could still be tracked down, but now it’s a matter of some great effort, perhaps greater than a nutso stalker can expend. And that destination should be selected on the basis of having a non-teaching diocesan job available for her when she arrives. That’s what I’d urge. But I don’t regard it as unambiguously mandated by what we know of Jesus’ teachings. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/65 "2013-06-13T23:34:37Z")
Doesn’t this story just highlight why you don’t negotiate with, or cave in to the demands of terrorists and crazy people? What if some guy calls the school threatening to plant a bomb there unless the principal is fired? What if the husband in this case says he’s gonna shoot up the school unless they rehire his wife? At a certain point, you can’t allow your decisions to be dictated be unstable bullies. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/66 "2013-06-13T23:50:35Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Do Catholic schools make a profit per student? I would have guessed not. Not much – at least not your average parochial school. My school certainly never did. Tuition’s expensive, but so was running the school itself. When I went to high school, I was amazed at how much more they were able to afford there. Of course, that was twentysome years ago. But I doubt it’s changed all that much. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/67 "2013-06-14T00:08:33Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > No. Paul, however, did, and your denial, whilst technically accurate, is both unhelpful and misleading - especially as Paul claimed to have the very religious insight and vision you claim earlier in the thread, so his teaching came directly from Jesus. There’s no shortage of atheists (and apostates) here who know the bible and the teachings of the various churches extremely well, so obfuscation isn’t going to help you. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/68 "2013-06-14T00:48:05Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Paul, however, did, and your denial, whilst technically accurate, is both unhelpful and misleading - especially as Paul claimed to have the very religious insight and vision you claim earlier in the thread, so his teaching came directly from Jesus. > > There’s no shortage of atheists (and apostates) here who know the bible and the teachings of the various churches extremely well, so obfuscation isn’t going to help you. It’s not my responsibility to make my opponent’s arguments for them, especially when – as in this case – my opponent asserts his own solid knowledge and then highlights it with a factually inaccurate statement. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/69 "2013-06-14T01:15:46Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > However true that is (and honestly, I think that happens way more often than sweet innocent girl accidentally get involved with bad boy), if the woman is unstable then fire her for that, not for her poor choice in men. That’s where I was coming from. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/70 "2013-06-14T01:19:02Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > And bonus points for those good Christian parents that threatened to take their children out if the teacher wasn’t removed. > > The failure here is with the state. Seriously, if you commit a (felony) violent crime, you should be put away for years not months. > > Having said all that, was said jackass threatening the kids at the school? I agree that kids don’t need to be exposed to that kind of drama, but were the kids ever in any real danger? It’s not unusual for women like this to bail him out of jail, call him up and tell him where she is even though she’s been warned repeatedly not to do so, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/71 "2013-06-14T01:30:37Z")
I guess the diocese could find the woman a similar position in a different diocese in a different state if they wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/72 "2013-06-14T02:34:26Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > It’s sort of like Typhoid Mary. It’s not necessarily her fault that people around her are at risk, but we can’t be letting her work in the kitchen anymore. That flawed logic could be used to fire every almost victim of domestic violence. This guy is in jail at the moment, and apparently he’s going to be there for another couple of months. With a sentence like that, odds are he’s going to be under a restraining order when he gets out, and if he violates the order, he’s likely looking at even more time. With a conviction for domestic violence, I believe he’ll be unable to lawfully own a gun. The odds of him going after her at work again seem rather low. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/73 "2013-06-14T02:44:17Z")
I’d like to note that “locking down the school” isn’t _that_ big of a deal. It’s pretty standard whenever someone unknown is on campus. My school would get locked down several times a year. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/74 "2013-06-14T02:44:40Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > It’s not my responsibility to make my opponent’s arguments for them, especially when – as in this case – my opponent asserts his own solid knowledge and then highlights it with a factually inaccurate statement. This is what always pisses me off about you. Since when is the dope (or indeed, life itself) about “winning an argument”? Isn’t it about understanding each other better, learning, having better knowledge? Why do you want to obfuscate and “win” when you have the opportunity to educate and improve understanding? To me, this says more about you (and actually about the worst traits of Christians in general) than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/75 "2013-06-14T02:44:42Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > That flawed logic could be used to fire every almost victim of domestic violence. This guy is in jail at the moment, and apparently he’s going to be there for another couple of months. With a sentence like that, odds are he’s going to be under a restraining order when he gets out, and if he violates the order, he’s likely looking at even more time. With a conviction for domestic violence,\*\* I believe he’ll be unable to lawfully own a gun. The odds of him going after her at work again seem rather low.\*\* Flawed logic indeed. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/76 "2013-06-14T02:47:31Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > It’s not unusual for women like this to bail him out of jail, call him up and tell him where she is even though she’s been warned repeatedly not to do so, etc. If that’s indeed what she’s doing then naturally fire her arse. And count me in that the school is over-reacting. Has this guy made any moves towards the students? Or does he even own a gun? And is locking down the school really that big of a deal? And does the school have a security guard ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/77 "2013-06-14T03:04:10Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Even assuming that there might be some circumstances where firing the teacher and expelling her kids would be justified, this case doesn’t seem to be it. The man apparently never entered the school and made no threats toward any students. Exactly. There is barely any reason to think there’s an increased risk to any students. If there’s some increased risk, it seems like a very small risk. May as well forbid the students from going outside, since cars sometimes fail to stay off the sidewalk. > [@](#): > > Do Catholic schools make a profit per student? I would have guessed not. The point about money turns on the fact that the school receives _income_ from the students. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/78 "2013-06-14T03:06:07Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > To me, this says more about you (and actually about the worst traits of Christians in general) than anything else. I agree with you about the vicious nature of the personality trait you’re describing. But I think it’s really wrong to attribute this to his religion. This is a trait had by people of all religious stripes. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/79 "2013-06-14T03:08:05Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > If such a job was available, sure. > > If such a job wasn’t available…? As you later suggest, the diocese may not be able to employ her, but they ought to pay her.Their ethical obligation is not only to her and the children but also to the larger community, and that’s a community in which abused women have a very hard time. I certainly sympathize with parents being terrified for their kids. If I thought my daughters were at significant risk of being victims of a school shooting, you bet your ass I’d do whatever I could to protect them, including removing them from that classroom. But if my actions to protect my kids harmed someone else (say, by costing her her livelihood), I’d also step up with my responsibilities toward that person I’d harmed. That’s not just the Christian thing to do, that’s the moral thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907/80 "2013-06-14T03:10:13Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > I agree with you about the vicious nature of the personality trait you’re describing. > > But I think it’s really wrong to attribute this to his religion. This is a trait had by people of all religious stripes. I wouldn’t attribute it to his religion. What I would say is that, in my experience, religious folks in general tend to “holier than thou” and are more about showing how “religious” and “correct” they are than in accepting that others are different, don’t share their ideas and don’t need them. Christians in particular (again in my experience) seem to be more exclusionary than inclusionary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-fires-teacher-because-her-jailed-ex-might-cause-trouble-when-he-gets-out-right-call-or-not/660907.md?page=5)