# Teacher Reveals Former Prostitution in Support of Craigslist Adult Services Rights - Loses Job **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 28, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352 "2010-09-28T14:47:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/181 "2010-10-04T19:19:13Z")
> [@Kurt](#): > > Only if you instill “your kid” with the view that sex is wrong. I don’t believe the teacher should suffer adverse employment actions, as I have noted. However, the sanctimony of this argument gives me pause. Does a parent have a right to teach a kid that sex outside of marriage is wrong? That sex for money is wrong? It seems obvious to me that the answer is yes. ---
**Author:** ![Kurt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kurt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kurt)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/182 "2010-10-04T19:23:17Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Does a parent have a right to teach a kid that sex outside of marriage is wrong? That sex for money is wrong? > > It seems obvious to me that the answer is yes. To the point where hypothetical child would feel compelled to “disrespect” such a person (which was explicitly the argument I was replying to) ? ---
**Author:** ![Kurt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kurt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kurt)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/183 "2010-10-04T19:47:04Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What perspectives specifically are you referring to? “Prostitutes are not role models.” “And maybe she has learned a valuable lesson - she can be a spokesperson for her cause or [be] gainfully employed” “the false impression that many girls going into prostitution… won’t get trapped” “What I had against the prostitute was her disclosure and advocacy.” “I don’t think prostitution is like experimenting with homosexuality during college, you don’t just try it out to see if you like it” “I have no confidence that she keeps that opinion to herself when in the class.” “I’m making the assumption that she also bends and fudges other laws and rules of the school as she sees fit” “I wouldn’t want someone with a conscience that elastic teaching my child. To my way of thinking, it’s a matter of character. She hasn’t expressed any remorse,” “None of us here like it, but people are going to sell their sexual services for money” “I can see my son deciding its a lot easier to suck dick for money than dig ditches all day long and that having a teacher that argued for the legalization of prostitution might make this more acceptable for him no matter how I raised him” “I have a problem with the person who teaches my children advocating for the legalization of prostitution.” ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/184 "2010-10-04T19:53:19Z")
> [@Kurt](#): > > > [@Bricker](#): > > > > Does a parent have a right to teach a kid that sex outside of marriage is wrong? That sex for money is wrong? > > > > It seems obvious to me that the answer is yes. > > To the point where hypothetical child would feel compelled to “disrespect” such a person (which was explicitly the argument I was replying to) ? That seems an almost obvious consequence. Sure. if a child is taught that prostitution is wrong, then it doesn’t seem a huge leap to infer he may not respect a teacher who reveals she once engaged in it and is not remotely repentant. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/185 "2010-10-04T19:56:10Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > > [@Kurt](#): > > > > Only if you instill “your kid” with the view that sex is wrong. > > I don’t believe the teacher should suffer adverse employment actions, as I have noted. > > However, the sanctimony of this argument gives me pause. > > Does a parent have a right to teach a kid that sex outside of marriage is wrong? That sex for money is wrong? > > It seems obvious to me that the answer is yes. Yes, a parent does. Just as a parent has a right to teach a child that black people are inferior, or that homosexuals are deviant, or that 2 plus 2 is 5. However, the state, through public education, has the right to present alternative, more tolerant, viewpoints. And the parent doesn’t have the right to prevent the state from doing that, short of removing their child from the school. And, to be honest, and this is way off topic, I don’t actually believe there is a right to do that, though I accept that current legal decisions hold that there is. ---
**Author:** ![Kurt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kurt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kurt)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/186 "2010-10-04T20:12:19Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > That seems an almost obvious consequence. I disagree, but then I’m from the school of thought that teaches someone to be respectful, even to those who might make different lifestyle choices to your own. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/187 "2010-10-04T20:24:35Z")
> [@Kurt](#): > > I disagree, but then I’m from the school of thought that teaches someone to be respectful, even to those who might make different lifestyle choices to your own. Any lifestyle choices? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/188 "2010-10-04T20:52:32Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > **Advocating for law reform and publicizing the fact that you _broke_ the law aren’t quite the same thing.** > > It’s not even like she was engaging in civil disobedience; she didn’t openly pick up some johns for the purpose of making a political statement. She had sex for money and _later_ decided to politicize it. Exactly. The former is appropriate, and should not be punished. ---
**Author:** ![Kurt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kurt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kurt)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/189 "2010-10-04T22:35:59Z")
> [@villa](#): > > > [@Kurt](#): > > > > I disagree, but then I’m from the school of thought that teaches someone to be respectful, even to those who might make different lifestyle choices to your own. > > Any lifestyle choices? If they’re not malicious, hateful or actively harmful to others, then sure. Note I said “be respectful towards”, not “endorse” or “universally promote”. To put the ball back in your court, do you advocate raising children to be disrespectful to those with whom you disagree? And I have to say **Trucelt** , I’m having a hard time understanding why one of those actions should be considered “inappropriate” and worthy of punishment, whilst the other is not. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/190 "2010-10-05T00:27:40Z")
> [@villa](#): > > And the parent doesn’t have the right to prevent the state from doing that, short of removing their child from the school. And, to be honest, and this is way off topic, I don’t actually believe there is a right to do that, though I accept that current legal decisions hold that there is. Wow. No right to private school or homeschool? That’s rather… totalitarian of you. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/191 "2010-10-05T14:28:47Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > > [@villa](#): > > > > And the parent doesn’t have the right to prevent the state from doing that, short of removing their child from the school. And, to be honest, and this is way off topic, I don’t actually believe there is a right to do that, though I accept that current legal decisions hold that there is. > > Wow. No right to private school or homeschool? > > That’s rather… totalitarian of you. I’m not certain it is a constitutional right to homeschool/send your children to private school. It’s not a religious freedom issue to me, provided the public schools aren’t teaching a religion. Well, to be more accurate, there is a right to private/home school your children, but not to the exclusion of public schooling. You can give your child whatever instruction you like, but I don’t think there is a constitutional right to keep them out of public school. If I were in charge, I’d allow private/home schooling, but I also think that mandating attendance at public schools would be constitutional, if not necessarily wise, and certainly not politically possible. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/192 "2010-10-05T14:31:42Z")
> [@villa](#): > > > [@Bricker](#): > > > > Wow. No right to private school or homeschool? > > > > That’s rather… totalitarian of you. > > I’m not certain it is a constitutional right to homeschool/send your children to private school. It’s not a religious freedom issue to me, provided the public schools aren’t teaching a religion. Well, to be more accurate, there is a right to private/home school your children, but not to the exclusion of public schooling. You can give your child whatever instruction you like, but I don’t think there is a constitutional right to keep them out of public school. > > If I were in charge, I’d allow private/home schooling, but I also think that mandating attendance at public schools would be constitutional, if not necessarily wise, and certainly not politically possible. Did you know that [a family was granted asylum in the U.S. because Germany doesn’t allow homeschooling?](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/us/01homeschool.html) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/193 "2010-10-05T14:46:04Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > Did you know that [a family was granted asylum in the U.S. because Germany doesn’t allow homeschooling?](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/us/01homeschool.html) Hm. A story like that just reinforces my suspicion of homeschoolers. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/194 "2010-10-05T15:10:55Z")
> [@Kurt](#): > > I disagree, but then I’m from the school of thought that teaches someone to be respectful, even to those who might make different lifestyle choices to your own. > [@Kurt](#): > > > [@villa](#): > > > > Any lifestyle choices? > > If they’re not malicious, hateful or actively harmful to others, then sure. Note I said “be respectful towards”, not “endorse” or “universally promote”. > > To put the ball back in your court, do you advocate raising children to be disrespectful to those with whom you disagree? Okay, let’s try a hypothetical. Jim is a public school teacher. Jim decides one day that he’s going to take up self-mutilation as a hobby. We’re not talking tattoos and piercings; Jim cuts off bits of himself - fingers, toes, earlobes, and so on - and carves designs into his skin. We’ll assume Jim is not suffering from any recognized psychiatric disorder. Not only it this activity not malicious, hateful or actively harmful to others, it’s not even illegal. Do you think this lifestyle choice deserves respect? ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/195 "2010-10-05T15:39:19Z")
> [@Kurt](#): > > > [@villa](#): > > > > Any lifestyle choices? > > If they’re not malicious, hateful or actively harmful to others, then sure. Note I said “be respectful towards”, not “endorse” or “universally promote”. > > To put the ball back in your court, do you advocate raising children to be disrespectful to those with whom you disagree? You see, that is the problem. Who decides what lifestyle choices are malicious, hateful or actively harmful to others? Many people would (wrongly) say homosexuality is a lifestyle choice which is actively harmful to others. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/196 "2010-10-05T15:40:37Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > Did you know that [a family was granted asylum in the U.S. because Germany doesn’t allow homeschooling?](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/us/01homeschool.html) I was aware of that. I don’t for one moment, by the way, think that my interpretation of the law in this area falls into line with the governing law. I just think the governing decisions are wrong. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/197 "2010-10-05T19:33:23Z")
Are you perhaps a state employee? Are you aware the message you’re sending about the law being wrong could be an unwanted influence? I’m concerned there may be children within a 50 mile radius of you, and they could end up thinking that the law is some sort of social construct instead of a natural absolute. Could you please turn yourself in for re-education? Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/198 "2010-10-05T20:08:00Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > > > You want legal prostitution, thats fine, You want to advocate for legalizing prostitution while teaching by kids, not so fine. > > Can you give an example of what you mean by this? I’m assuming you mean “my kids” instead of “by kids” in the above quote by the way. Are you under the impression that the teacher was talking **to the children** about prostitution? There was an article she wrote and a website she maintained outside of her school time and without the student’s knowledge. > > And abstracting away from the facts of this particular case, would you object to a state employee joining a protest of state actions? Why or why not? > > Enjoy, > Steven Well let me give a hypo that might show a clearer case of what I am talking about. A high school history teacher used to be a prostitute and advocates for the legalization of prostituion but noone really realizes because all she does is maintain an anonymous web site and wrote an obscure article, until one day she shows up in front of a bunch of cameras and takes a principled stand that prostitution should be legal because she is sick of the perpetuation of cultural taboos against prostituion. Now her students realize that she endorses legalizing prostituion. I think that makes her a bad role model and I don’t want her teaching my high school age kids. I don’t think a state employee’s protest of state action is detrimental to their performance of their duty in most cases. However, if, for example, an IRS agent were to publicly engage in debate arguing that the tax code was unconstituional because two different versions of the amendment were ratified (one had an extra comma or something), I wouldn’t want that person adminstering the tax code. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/199 "2010-10-05T20:10:38Z")
> [@Kurt](#): > > > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > > > You want legal prostitution, thats fine, You want to advocate for legalizing prostitution while teaching by kids, not so fine. > > Why are teachers unable to advocate for law reform outside of work? Some activity in inappropriate for people in some positions. I don’t know that we can fire them for it but I would try. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/200 "2010-10-05T20:12:35Z")
> [@Kurt](#): > > [QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] > > It has nothing to do with morals/values. Bull. Shit. [QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Should she lose her job? You bet. 1. My kid may disrespect the teacher and thus his/her education. [/QUOTE] Only if you instill “your kid” with the view that sex is wrong. I bet if she’d been a white woman who’d married a black man the kids would tease her about being a nigger-lover too - let’s just fire her and save everyone the hassle. [/QUOTE] Its not saying sex is wrong, its saying that sex for money is wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352.md?page=11)