Does it always have to come down to this? A fired Rhode Island teacher has vented his frustration with getting caught up in the poor performing schools fray by hanging an Obama effigy by his feet in his classroom. The retaliation-run-amok was discovered in the teacher’s third-floor classroom at Central Falls High School by the superintendent of Schools, Frances Gallo. She went to investigate after rumors of the incident began circulating.
Central Falls Teachers Union condemned the act, saying it was wrong and cannot be condoned under any circumstances, even though they had been fighting the firing of the entire staff at the school.
The offending teacher’s name hasn’t been given, but Superintendent Gallo says he was “contrite when confronted, but said it was just a ‘joke.’ ” “He doesn’t see it as making a mockery or, worse, just total disrespect,” Gallo said. “Clearly, he wasn’t thinking.” Or was he?
It actually took a lot of thought to hang a black doll from its feet from a white board and attach a sign that said, “Fire Central Falls teachers” to it. He was thinking quite clearly in my estimation. Being at a failing school where he and all his colleagues are being fired simply stoked his inner racist. His initial written excuse, according to the president of the Teachers Union, Jane Sessums, was that he hung the doll “as part of a lesson plan.” A lesson in lynching, perhaps?
The teacher is under disciplinary review, but what can really be done? He’s already a fired racist walking. –gerald radford
