Posted on 01/28/2006 5:57:55 AM PST by freepatriot32
BEAVER FALLS, Pa. - A 17-year-old high school student said he was humiliated when a teacher made him sit on the floor during a midterm exam in his ethnicity class _ for wearing a Denver Broncos jersey.
The teacher, John Kelly, forced Joshua Vannoy to sit on the floor and take the test Friday _ two days before the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Broncos 34-17 in the AFC championship game. Kelly also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy, whom he called a "stinking Denver fan," Vannoy told The Associated Press on Monday.
Kelly said Vannoy, a junior at Beaver Area Senior High School, just didn't get the joke.
"If he felt uncomfortable, then that's a lesson; that's what (the class) is designed to do," Kelly told The Denver Post. "It was silly fun. I can't believe he was upset."
Vannoy was wearing a No. 7 Broncos jersey on Friday, because he is a fan of John Elway, the Broncos' retired Hall of Fame quarterback.
Vannoy said he was so unnerved he left at least 20 questions blank on the 60-question test, and just wants out of Kelly's class because he's afraid the teacher won't treat him fairly now that the story reached the media.
"I'm going to have to deal with him for two more nine weeks (school quarters) and he's going to want revenge somehow," Vannoy said Monday. "I took the test. I'm shaking. I'm furious. I didn't know what to do."
Kelly, who wore a Ben Roethlisberger jersey Friday, and his principal, Thomas Karczewski, didn't immediately return messages left on their school voice mail Monday.
Big Beaver Falls Area School District Superintendent Donna Nugent said she was aware of the situation, but said confidentiality rules prevent her from commenting specifically.
"We'll take whatever action we need to in order for the student to feel comfortable," Nugent said.
"This was a serious error on the part of the teacher.
Kelly should be fired or reassigned."
Is this another example of teacher/student sado/macho sex scandal? s/off
Let me get this straight. You are comparing a kid wearing a football jersey to one of the most militant inhuman death-cult governments to ever exist? I guess you are serious about your football.
So the kid did something stupid. So what. Kids do that. But for a teacher to crawl in the judgment sewer with the kid is no excuse. This teacher was wrong to single out a kid, especially over such trivial circumstances. I hope they properly discipline this idiot teacher.
I knew someone would take this stand LOL. I think you realize(at least I hope you do) that I was making a point about symbols and their meaning. The comparison is valid from that angle.
The teacher claims that it was part of a class exercise related to his ethnic relations class. Was it? I don't know. It sounds plausible.
I never said I thought what was done was right. The teacher might have crossed a line and if it is determined he did he should be told about it.
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