Teacher’s remarks rile parents

Poynter drop 24 pt

LAFAYETTE — A parent of a fourth-grader at Delcambre Elementary School said she and other parents are demanding the termination of a teacher who allegedly, in remarks to her students the day after the presidential election, made derogatory comments about President Obama’s re-election.

Lindsay Shello said she lodged a complaint against the teacher after her son came home from school on Nov. 7 and told her the teacher said “the United States would be the new China since Obama won as president.”

Shello said her son also said the teacher, who was wearing an all-black wardrobe that day, told the students “She was going to a funeral because it was the death of the United States since Obama won the election.”

Shello said she met with the teacher, school Principal Danelle Renard and Iberia Parish school system Assistant Superintendent Michael Judice about the matter.

Renard, contacted by The Advocate on Tuesday, referred all media questions to Judice.

The teacher, whose name is being withheld by school officials because this is a personnel matter, is still teaching at the school, Judice said.

“The incident was investigated and it’s a personnel issue, so it’s a confidential issue,” Judice said. “The situation was dealt with.”

Judice said he could not elaborate on what type of action, if any, was taken against the teacher.

“It’s a situation that was handled,” he repeated. “It’s a very, very good school. It’s one of our best schools in the parish. The parents and students we have there are good and supportive of the school.”

Shello said she and other parents have organized a protest at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the School Board Office in New Iberia to demand the teacher’s termination.

“Politics is politics … that’s your opinion, that’s your decision,” Shello said. “A classroom full of 9-year-old children? They don’t understand what’s going on — to tell them it’s the death of the United States.”

Judice said neither the district office nor Renard had been contacted about the planned protest.

Shello said she had no plans to request that her child be removed from the teacher’s classroom.

“He has his friends in the classroom,” she said. “It’s not like he did anything wrong.”

Comments

1) Comment by PawPawD - 23/04/2013

I am no supporter of Obama, but I'm pretty sure had this teacher called Bush's election the death of America, all those of you who are screaming for free speech would be demanding she be fired. The political candidate she supported is irrelevant. These are fourth graders. When you say Obama's election is the death of America, they take it literally. They don't have the capacity yet to debate abstract concepts. It would be different if this were a class of high school kids, debating politics. Very poor judgment on the part of the teacher. She was thinking of herself, not the kids.

2) Comment by Thurston_Howell_III - 17/04/2013

The teacher should be fired.

3) Comment by Dawson - 06/03/2013

"So i decided to get drunk in November so I voted for neither"...I'm sure your kids would be proud. You are quite an example that all parents should follow.

4) Comment by Vernonbrew22 - 30/01/2013

As sad as this situation is, I nearly tt'd in my pants laughing. My kids go to a rich, fake God school and they were told beforehand that no parent should vote for the baby killing Obama. Really. I was like, gosh... What values are you teaching? But I decided to get drunk in November so I voted for neither. I should have worn a black suit. That is funny.

5) Comment by MBW - 16/01/2013

So, let's get this straight: a conservative teacher attacks Obama and it's called "freedom of speech"....and a liberal teacher does the same thing and it's "indoctrination"?

6) Comment by MBW - 16/01/2013

But if you listen to Republicans, they'd have you believe that all teachers are liberal.....right. I grew up in the South and went to public school and had plenty of right-wing propaganda and preaching shoved at me.

7) Comment by Dawson - 24/12/2012

So some schools can have choirs and students incorporate Pro- Obama rituals, dances and chants and that is the right of the people. But if someone shows disdain for King Obama they should be fired? We are not quite China yet, at least the teacher wasn't shot in the streets as she would have been there.

8) Comment by eavesmac - 24/12/2012

I agree with the teacher although I'm not a Republican in the political sense. America is a republic, but under the leadership of govt., has become very corrupt. Are these children to learn that people cannot speak their mind or opinion? In this still great country of ours we're able to dream; follow it; and achieve great things- it happens all the time. A lot of people including myself don't like our current pres. because he has no accomplishments beyond being the first black pres. I think he's being used to steal our rights, and if we object, then we are 'racist.' It is the perfect set up.

9) Comment by twinkie1cat - 20/12/2012

Although the Republicans would adore it if a teacher's freedom of speech was exchanged for a teaching certificate, that is not how America works. As for the two custodians who lost their jobs because they objected to the teacher, that is what happens when you privatize---human rights violations. This is a job for the ACLU.

10) Comment by Bouncer - 19/12/2012

In general, the First Amendment prohibits the government from censoring free speech. An employer has quite a bit of discretion in limiting an employee's expression of political opinion and imposing speech limits in the workplace. In any case, the teacher behaved more childishly than the children she was supposed to be teaching. While I agree that perhaps this is being turned into a tempest in a teapot, I also believe that while at work, your focus should be on your job.

11) Comment by tradewinns - 19/12/2012

the U.S. is the new china? china's booming. so is the statement a bragadocious statement or suppose to have been a negative one? the parent has no idea what the teacher meant. this has been handled. if the parent has that much time on her hands perhaps she could volunteer at one of the failing schools.

12) Comment by CountryBoysCanSurvive - 19/12/2012

Where is her right of freedom of speech?