Re: Academic freedom

On 4/24/2024 9:42 AM, anim8rfsk wrote:

Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

Student suspended for using term 'illegal alien' in English class
by Brianna Kraemer
The Carolina Journal
April 15, 2024
https://www.carolinajournal.com/student-suspended-for-using-term-illegal-alien-in-english-class/
>
A boy was given a vocabularly assignment, including the word "alien". He
asked about space aliens or "illegal aliens without green cards". He
had heard the terms on the news and wanted to understand what was being
asked of him. He wasn't directing it at Hispanics but anyone from
another country.
>
A Hispanic boy threatened to fight him, so the teacher called the
assistant principal who solved the problem by deeming the question
"offensive and disrespectful to classmates who are Hispanic".
>
The boy who asked the question was suspended for three days and has a
black mark on his permanent record which could interfere with getting a
college scholarship. The other boy who took offense and made the threat
was not disciplined at all.
>
Gee. The teacher could have made this a teachable moment on use of
vocabulary (I could have sworn that was the assignment) and seeing
things from the perspective of another to not give offense and holding
one's temper to not take offense. But there's always an assistant
principal to make things worse.
>

 Let’s point out that these aren’t little kids. These aren’t second graders.
These are 16-year-olds. These are young men, halfway through high school,
old enough to drive.
 People in the school administration need to lose their jobs over this.

Might've had to be in the classroom. Maybe even in the class. For days.