Posted on 06/11/2009 9:20:25 AM PDT by lewisglad
You might recall back in 2008 when Diantha Harris, a teacher from a North Carolina grade school, made a YouTube splash for having verbally berated a soldier's young daughter that said in class she was for John McCain instead of Barack Obama for president. Of course the righty blogs immediately went wild for the story, but eventually the Old Media came to the teacher's rescue and reported that the teacher never meant any harm. The story appeared on cable and local TV for several days last November.
Well, last month another teacher found himself making news -- or not making it as the case may be -- for having been fired because he is a conservative. Lawrence, Kansas teacher Tim Latham was fired early last month, he claims for being a conservative, yet the Old Media even in Kansas has been very quiet on the story.
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Early in May, Lawrence High School of Lawrence, Kansas fired government and history teacher Tim Latham. Latham charges that District 912 fired him because he is a conservative and many of his students have since rallied to his defense. Some 200 of them joined a FaceBook page in support and four appeared at a school board meeting on June 8 to advocate for their favorite teacher.
One reason given for the firing is that Mr. Latham did not show Obama's inauguration live in his class and another is that staff members disparaged him for supporting Republicans during the late presidential race, most especially then vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin.
On June 8, an advocacy group, Kansas 9.12 Project also attended the school board meeting and spoke on Mr. Latham's behalf.
Meredith Richey, member, Kansas 9/12 Project, said it had come to the attention of the group that a teacher within Lawrence Public Schools was given a non-renewal because of a difference in political opinion. She asked the board of education to investigate this and possibly reconsider the non-renewal or check into how teachers are released so this is not a pattern in Lawrence. She said different opinions should be tolerated and she believes this is worth exploring.
According to a press release from the Kansas 9.12 Project, school board members admitted to the teachers union that they had not properly followed union rules to dismiss the teacher.
Prior to meeting with Mr. Cunningham, the Kansas 912’ers met with the teacher and then later met with the teacher’s union representative from the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA). The KNEA representative stated the district admitted they violated the current employment contract by failing to do required in-class evaluations in accordance with the teacher-agreement. He also indicated LHS administrators appear to have harassed the teacher over an assignment where students were asked to contrast the pro’s and con’s of each presidential candidate during the fall election and again because his class did not watch the Presidential inauguration live in his classroom. Harassment also included a Vice Principal confronting the teacher about -- who he should vote for -- and by making disparaging remarks like ”how can you support that woman”, in reference to Sarah Palin. In addition, the teacher was also knocked by other staff members who criticized him for displaying a McCain/Palin bumper sticker on his car and one administrator even demanded he remove links from his teacher webpage to government and historical websites including the armed forces and Arlington National Cemetery, suggesting the teacher’s page was “too patriotic."
Another school board meeting will be held on June 22 and Latham's supporters intend to appear then to pursue the matter further.
Kansas media outlets do not seem much interested in this story, though the Kansas Liberty (subscription required) did cover the story at the end of May. Coverage has been extremely scarce locally and no national coverage has been seen in any case.
It is interesting, though, to see how this story is finding a deaf ear among the media. One might think that a teacher claiming to have been fired over his political beliefs and the subsequent First Amendment questions that raises would be a natural flash point that would draw media coverage. But, thus far, it is seems that little attention has been paid this story.
Earl Glynn, of the website Kansas Meadowlark blog has some interesting video of what students had to say about Mr. Latham.
The state run media ARE the enemy.
I’ll bet it’s just killing the teacher’s union people to have to defend a conservative.
}:-)4
Judicial empathy ya know.
HERETIC!!!
That's not grounds for firing, but I do think that especially in his class--Government and History--should have watched the innauguration. In our country, the transition of government should be a much respected event. I watched it. Poor John Roberts. I still feel bad for him. But I digress.
I'd be curious to know why his class didn't watch the historical tranfer of power that is the hallmark of our system of government. Never mind that this particular innauguration had the added historical significance of swearing in the first "black" president.
Throw him into the pond!
My hat is off to teacher Tim Latham, a great American, for his principles and for taking flak from the idiots among us. Come one state West, Tim. Lewis-Palmer School District D-40. We would love to see you here.
“The state run media ARE the enemy.”
Keep saying it!
KS = CA?
Only in the people’s republic of Lawrence is not watching the Obama inagural grounds for firing! lol...
I never really liked bumper-stickers, and never put one on my car... until AFTER this past election, when I got so steamed at some of the grotesque post-election media crap being thrown at Palin. That just did it for me, and I got a nice sticker (”Sarah!”) and afixed it to my car.
Since I live in a county that voted for Obama, I was a bit concerned about some dangerous, out-of-the-blue reaction from some roadway miscreant. But, since I also keep a loaded pistol and a loaded shotgun handy in my car, I’m more than ready for anyone that tries starting anything.
>“The state run media ARE the enemy.”
>
>Keep saying it!
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s “state run media” or “media run state”... after all, that’s what Congress was trying to do when they suggested the retroactive, punitive 90% taxation of the AIG bonuses.
That’s not grounds for firing, but I do think that especially in his class—Government and History—should have watched the innauguration. In our country, the transition of government should be a much respected event. I watched it. Poor John Roberts. I still feel bad for him. But I digress.
I’d be curious to know why his class didn’t watch the historical tranfer of power that is the hallmark of our system of government. Never mind that this particular innauguration had the added historical significance of swearing in the first “black” president.
I totally disagree. Inaugurations were never televised in my class when I was in school. In addition, for my kids, my local school didn’t televise any of them either. And that goes for Clinton, Bush, and Osama.
“Sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s “state run media” or “media run state”... “
Sure is! One in the same. We are living the media political party....mostly democrats with a mix of rino’s thrown in.
Ping for later.
Just another sheep sacrificed on the altar of political correctness.
I don’t recall ever watching an inaguration while in school.
The MSM is owned by the Leftists, the Democrats, and by the nature of the “Profession” their brazenly Leftist bent is exposed, but I’m just thinkin’ about the other “Profession” whose Leftist bent isn’t brazenly exposed to the public, much less their existance.
The “Professionals” behind the scenes that average voting Americans never even think about. The Leftist Bureaucrats embedded for life within the Government system creating their Leftist mischief knowing that the elected representatives come and go, but they are forever.
That’s one “H” of a strong Union.
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