Reading between the lines, I think you are right. Still, it’s a very tough lesson for a seasoned teacher. I wish him light and openness from now on.
I won’t even let my kids watch shows on the Disney Channel unless I screen them first.
The fact that Bob made such an egregious mistake likely means that he makes a lot of similar mistakes. You don’t go along doing everything right and then suddenly fuck up so thoroughly - Bob has probably fucked up a whole lot of times. He’s not going to tell anyone that, of course. He’s probably not even aware of it.
Of course, this all raises the issue of how completely repressed parents are about children’s sexuality and whether or not the video was anything to get upset about in the first place. That’s more of an ethical question than a common-sense one, as we all know schools are hypersensitive as shit about what teachers show the precious children.
I think a link may be helpful. I know he wants publicity on this so don’t feel particularly guilty outing his identity. I honestly can’t find any coverage on this that’s not obviously biased, but [URL=“http:// www. queerty.com/georgia-drama-teacher-dave-dixon-fired-for-showing-students-a-film-on-gay-persecution-20101109/”]here’s the best I could get: I’d be interested in a more balanced perspective, maybe on incorporating voices other than Bob’s.
ETA: It says he’s been teaching in Georgia for four years, which means he would have lost his job prior to the economy collapsing in Michigan. But I know that he lost his job in Michigan through no obvious fault of his own.
The controversy generating around this is enormous, and I don’t even mean on the ‘‘gay activism’’ side. There are some former students at that school seriously pissed at him, and I think threats of violence have been made.
There is some not-safe-for-work content on the page you linked.
Missed the edit window. Actually, four years ago would be just about right for the economic collapse in Michigan. Has it been that long? Jeez.
According to a 6 day old article in the Times Georgian, he was reprimanded for an incident that occurred about two years ago involving exposing students in his classes to language in a script. The current incident would be the second incident involving exposing students to inappropriate material, which is an apparent violation of the faculty rules.
Sorry, I didn’t see any (still don’t, but didn’t look that hard.) I will report my post and have a moderator break the link.
Thanks. I was right, his kids all moved with him:
"Bob is distressed by the news and posts on his private livejournal account about his frustrations, and also comments on his worsening mental health. Someone privy to the account apparently leaks the post.
Bob is informed that due to ‘‘veiled threats’’ in his Livejournal account, the administration will pursue a restraining order against him and will henceforth be pushing for the revocation of his teaching certificate."
They were supposedly willing to just let him walk until this happened. I suspect that journal entry would give a lot of insight into who Id be willing to side with.
Otara
In the linked article Bob himself says that he didn’t follow protocol for the showing of the video. That combined with his asking to start the anti-bullying group and being turned down by the principal could have been perceived as him having an attitude that he’s going to do whatever he wants no matter what everyone else says.
Who knows what small ways he’s been making a negative impression on the school administration every day. I’ve known teachers who quietly make their opinions known to students without being so heavy handed. I would actually question whether or not he was intentionally trying to create all this drama.
I’m not saying he was wrong to try to stir things up but if you work for a public school and want to keep your job you have to play by their rules. It’s better to get your own agenda across in a way that is accepted by the community.
He did screw up showing a video that he had not viewed. I’d be pretty pissed if my kids were subjected to that in the classroom. However, firing - I’m not convinced that’s appropriate.
I’ve read it. I can’t figure out what freaked out the administration. The only thing I can find that might apply is a blog, posted the evening before the hearing, which comments ‘‘I watched two excellent warrior movies to get in the mood for the fight ahead.’’ Sounds to me like a guy just psyching himself up for the inevitable psychological beating he would take the next day. He also has a user icon making some joke about rock, paper, scissors and paper punching scissors in the face. I don’t really understand it but I didn’t find it particularly menacing, just silly.
My WAG is that someone took that in the context of his discussion of depression and decided it means he’s dangerous, which just goes to show bigotry against the mentally ill is alive and well (not that I didn’t already know that.)
I’m of two minds of this, you see, and I think it’s my own ideological underpinnings that make this such a conflict for me. I think showing the movie without screening it was dumb, particularly after already pissing everyone off with that interview. Not resigning in peace when asked was dumber still, and plastering everything all over his Facebook was dumbest of all.
On the other hand, the administration clearly just wants an excuse to fire him because he is effectively changing the social values of these kids, and now I’m feeling particularly like his mental illness is being used against him which pisses me right the fuck off. If they are successful I think it bodes very badly for any teacher with mental health issues being declared ‘‘dangerous’’ for having normal human emotions. We’re not even talking schizophrenia or bipolar** here, we’re talking DEPRESSION. For which he is actively medicated. And who the fuck wouldn’t be depressed after losing their job in such a spectacularly dramatic fashion?
**Which aren’t inherently violent either, by the way
So I believe he has made a series of poor choices and that termination is not unreasonable, but I also feel like the administration is full of bigoted assholes, and I think their need to revoke his teaching certificate is beyond bizarre. It’s like they’re trying to punish him for not resigning. It’s gone from a simple disciplinary action to all-out hatred.
If your assessment is accurate the restraining order talk does sound like an overreaction unless other information is present as well - eg some kind of action involving scissors. I would hope that means theres no real chance of the order succeeding or his certificate being revoked.
“Not resigning in peace when asked was dumber still, and plastering everything all over his Facebook was dumbest of all.”
I guess at some point I wonder if its only ‘dumb’ and whether there might be information you dont know about Or it could just be facesaving where the administration trying to make it look like something it isnt. Or it could be a bit of both.
I can understand the cause he’s fighting for, but Im not convinced he’s choosing the best ground to fight it on.
Without more information I find it hard to really decide either way as an outsider, but it sounds like an unpleasant situation that is spiralling out of control. The bigger it gets, the more someone has to ‘lose’ so I hope something gets resolved soon.
Otara
Well, from the bare facts, maybe he’s a raging jerk who’s spent his whole time trying to be a martyr by forcing the administration to fire him, but then again maybe the school board is a bunch of people who deep down just hate intellectuals, Jews, fags and anyone who doesn’t agree that the board is automatically superior to niggers.
There may be a combination of both, but frankly my bet is with olivesmarch.
Who knows, maybe the school will do something to show themselves to be, um, educated and reasonable people.