Principal in Holocaust controversy fired again in Florida

[groundloop]

Source: ABC News

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A Florida high school principal was fired again on Monday over a comment he made to a student's parent last year regarding the Holocaust.

The Palm Beach County School Board's vote on Monday morning reversed an earlier decision to reinstate Spanish River High School Principal William Latson.

(snip)

He appealed his firing and an administrative law judge ruled in August that the school board had gone too far in firing him. That prompted the school board's 4-3 vote to reinstate him last month.

On Monday, the board reversed course and voted 7-0 to fire Latson following outrage in the Jewish community, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/principal-holocaust-controversy-fired-florida-73976222?cid=clicksource_4380645_1_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed

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This is the principal who was fired in October 2019 after sparking outrage when he told a parent he “can't say the Holocaust is a factual, historical event" because he wasn't in a position to do so “as a school district employee." He was forced to be rehired, but in an administrative position and not in a school.

[yaesu]

1. a place I worked years ago had a motto, do it right the first time, the school should have done that

and kept his nazi ass fired.

[CatMor]

2. I question the administrative law judge who stated ..

the board had gone too far in firing him. Whats that about, what kind of judge is that.

[RAB910]

3. I think this context is important for just how bad this was

Latson was reassigned from the Boca Raton school to a district office job because of the outcry over his email to a mother who inquired whether the school’s students study the Holocaust.

Latson, who had been at Spanish River for eight years, replied to the mother that as an educator his job was to be “politically neutral.”

The mother, thinking Latson had expressed himself poorly, wrote back, saying, “The Holocaust is a factual, historical event. It is not a right or belief.”

Latson replied, “Not everyone believes the Holocaust happened.” He added, “You have your thoughts, but we are a public school and not all of our parents have the same beliefs.”

[TheRickles]

7. Thanks for the context. In the same vein, not everyone thinks the earth is round.

[sarisataka]

4. What am I missing here?

The principal said he could not confirm A historical fact was a fact because some people did not believe it.

The school board voted to fire him.

He appealed to a judge who ruled that he should not have been fired Therefore the school board voted to hire him back in a different position.

People were upset About the re hire and complained so the school board voted again to re fire him for the same reason they had fired him before, which a judge said they couldn't do.


So does this guy simply go back to the judge and get the same ruling that he cannot be fired and he gets rehired?

[jcgoldie]

6. I don't know what legal weight the judge's ruling had

The stories I read said the administrative law judge "recommended" they rehire him. I was under the impression that they made the decision to do so in order to stave off a lawsuit from this guy.

[obamanut2012]

10. I live here, have colleagues whose kids go there, that is what happened

They literally told the parents they rehired him because they didn't want to pay to defend the lawsuit. The Admin Law judge did not make a legal decision, but a recommendation.

[iluvtennis]

5. Good - never let him be in school teaching or school administrative position ever again. nt

[Miguelito Loveless]

8. So, historical facts are now a matter of opinion?

I guess Bugs Bunny cartoons are now part of the history curriculum, and the Roadrunner cartoons are part of the physics curriculum.

[raccoon]

9. Some people never learn. I'm glad they fired him. NT