A final message to my students after my firing

[wilsonbooks]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/18/1217134/-A-final-message-to-my-students

The system works.
That I write these words may surprise those who are aware that my employer of the last 10 years, the Joplin R-8 Board of Education, voted 7-0 to terminate my contract earlier this month.

The decision did not surprise me. I was fully aware that teachers rarely survive termination hearings. This hearing, not permanent employment, is the only thing that tenure offers, despite the protestations of the so-called “reformers,” who insist it is keeping thousands of bad teachers in the classrooms.

Not a single parent or student complained about me. The primary witnesses were six administrators. Though the charges against me had nothing to do with any kind of pedophilia, the district’s human resources manager insisted that when she interviewed girls about me, they were so supportive of me that she saw signs of “grooming.” My lawyer vigorously objected to the woman’s loaded language, but it was allowed to remain on the record.

Other such innuendo was sprinkled throughout the administrators’ testimony with the board president noting each of my attorney’s objections and then allowing the remarks to continue unimpeded.

[patrice]

1. Proof that education has become way too politicized: when anyone can say "I saw signs of grooming" &

that's taken as an unquestioned fact, when whatever she saw could have been any number of effects from other factors.

[calimary]

16. "Signs of grooming." What is that supposed to mean? I don't get it?

Code language for something teabaggers don't like?

What is that supposed to mean?

[Squinch]

18. It means the administrators didn't like that he was blogging the truth about the school system, so

they had to make up any old shit to get rid of him. The more cruel and destructive the better.

Weird ass code those administrators have, isn't it?

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. Actually he wasn't blogging about the school district

I've read his blog for years. He wrote about legislation and policy and the tornado recently but he didn't openly criticize his district.

[Squinch]

21. I was meaning the school system in the wider sense.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. I do think he was fired because he has a blog and writes about education

But they used his book because that was an easier way to get him.

[JoeyT]

30. Grooming is a tactic

pedophiles use to get children to trust them.

Apparently in this case students that didn't hate their teacher was "evidence" of grooming. Given what went down, had they hated the teacher it would have been "evidence" of abuse.

[DURHAM D]

2. From reading the comments it seems there is more to the story... nt

[wilsonbooks]

26. Here is Mr Turner's take on the story

It has to be the book (1+ / 0-)
It is not the board. It is the two top administrators in the district and it appears to all be about the book No Child Left Alive. The book is a satire about a year in a dysfunctional high school in a dysfunctional school district where education and discipline have been sacrificed as ambitious administrators push their own agendas. I have been told that the satire hit too close to home. There are a few people, including one of the reporters who covered the case, who think that my problems can be traced back to my personal blog While I never wrote about the school district on the blog, except in positive ways, I was warned about writing about politicians and other friends of the administrators. There are also a few people who believe administration was sending a message that if you step out of line, you are going to be crushed. I can't be for sure if it is one of those things or something else that I haven't even thought about. In my 22 years as a newspaper reporter, I covered stories involving corrupt cops and politicians, child murderers, and absolute lunatics, but I never ran into anything like this. Any teacher, even one who had tenure as I had, can be removed, simply for violating school policies. There was no need for them to create something like that to get rid of me so you are right, something is missing here.

by rturner229 on Tue Jun 18, 2013 at 10:08:11 PM PDT

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. Tell me again how men don't go into teaching because of the pay. n/t

[cascadiance]

4. The system works against so many teachers these days... A friend of mine had it even worse!

She got wrongfully convicted of child abuse, and the system totally worked against her and didn't provide adequate defense counsel, etc. and how they prosecuted her and convicted her was totally messed up. She got out when an Appeals court saw that the system had messed up and wrongfully convicted her.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/07/substitute_teachers_sex-abuse.html

I got to know her a year ago and she's become a good friend now, as this is now a part of her life and she's looking to help fix the situation here in Oregon so that it can offer better protection for those like herself from such situations like has been done more in other states like California. I can imagine that this guy feels similarly "trapped" in a situation which he shouldn't have to deal with alone. I think I might forward this story to her.

[duffyduff]

5. This is a nationwide problem

Turner's case is not unique; in fact, teachers have been fired for a lot less than his bogus case.

It's all about administrators' desire to save face, and they will throw teachers under the bus to do it.

And yes, they can and do fabricate charges against teachers in order for them to save their own jobs.

[duffyduff]

7. The next thing she should do after this is sue TSPC

Her name is there on the "blacklist":

http://www.tspc.state.or.us/temp_images/C00078510PR01285904.pdf

It does state that it "can reconsider" the revocation if she is completely exonerated.

If they don't, sue.

[cascadiance]

9. I don't know the details of her case that well...

If you go to her web site at:

http://www.justiceforlucinda.org/

You can see that she cut a plea deal that perhaps prevents her from suing them. Not sure. But I do know that I met her shortly after she was freed at a local political party committee meeting here where many have known her and supported her through this ordeal. She helped provide testimony in a recent trip to our state legislature not much more than a month ago. She made a big difference in some legislation with her personal accounts she spoke of in her testimony as a part of their proceedings, and actually had some Republicans apologizing to her afterwards. I think she's found a way to continue her life doing constructive and rewarding things, even if it might not have been what she initially set out to do.

[lumberjack_jeff]

10. This story is weird as hell.

She then allegedly took a female third-grade student around the corner and closed a fire door. She was accused of using one hand to grab the student's crotch over her clothing, while using the other to keep the door closed or to hold onto the student, who was trying to push her away. The alleged grabbing lasted for about one minute. Hites-Clabaugh then allowed the student to return to the others, but later told her not to say anything, according to the account.
When the regular teacher returned to work, the student told her that the substitute teacher had touched her between the legs, according to the account, triggering the investigation by Woodburn police.
The opinion raises several questions about the case against Hites-Clabaugh, noting that the Woodburn officer did not view the school hallway where the alleged abuse occurred and did not interview any other students or teachers. The student could not name the substitute teacher nor could she identify Hites-Clabaugh at the trial. The police officer admitted that he did not know the county's protocols for investigating child abuse.
Hites-Clabaugh maintained that the abuse never took place. But in her trial, presided over by Marion County Circuit Judge Lynn Ashcroft, a jury found her guilty in a 10-2 verdict. Marion County Circuit Judge Dale Penn sentenced her in August 2010 to a prison term of six years and three months.

"a 10-2 verdict"?

Isn't that pretty much the definition of "reasonable doubt"?

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/07/substitute_teachers_sex-abuse.html

[cascadiance]

13. The whole process was flawed... Read more here.

http://www.justiceforlucinda.org/the-case.html

Of course this isn't from a media source, but you can tell that proper procedures in talking to the girl alleging the incident weren't followed, and the court system and the prosecutors appeared to be more interested in getting through a case and getting another notch on their conviction board rather than really dispense justice. I can't speak for her completely, but I recall she had an appointed defense attorney, and not one she hired herself, and that perhaps this was part of the problem as well, as a more competent and motivated defense attorney would have made sure that the case were investigated properly and prosecuted properly as well.

If you are a jury, and you don't have the case presented to you properly, you could render a wrong verdict. It's been done before as DNA tests have shown in many other cases, and it will be done again. As important as a jury decision is, it is equally as important that the process of investigation and prosecution is done properly as well, which starts with the school, continues with the police, and ends with the prosecution attorneys and judge if it goes to court.

[Tafiti]

14. Weird unanimous jury rule.

Oregon and I believe Louisiana are the only ones that do not require a unanimous jury to convict someone, although I think 10-2 is the floor in Oregon and 9-3 in Louisiana. In the 70s, the Supreme Court ruled that the Sixth Amendment requires a unanimous jury in criminal convictions in federal court, but the Fourteenth does not impose the same requirement on state court convictions.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. That is just awful!

[woofless]

8. Thanks for this.

Some things I miss about Joplin. The school board is not one of them.

Woof

[wilsonbooks]

25. Hey Warren.

We do miss you in these parts but I am glad you have found a home in a more congenial neighborhood. Fortunately my Sarah is in an excellent private school and not subject to the moronic administration in the joplin school system.

[GladRagDahl]

11. yahoo version

http://news.yahoo.com/joplin-teacher-alleges-books-got-fired-165900626.html

[IdaBriggs]

12. I hope he becomes School Board President.

[JDPriestly]

15. Have you talked to an attorney other than your union's attorney?

Can you appeal?

[duffyduff]

17. It's limited what you can do. I found that out the hard way.

My "union" absolutely shafted me in order to cut deals with the district when a wrongful termination happened to me. I was not told of my right to file a complaint with EEOC, and without that letter to sue, it was impossible to get a lawyer to take my case. All of the statutes of limitations have expired.

I think in Turner's case, he's looking into it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Sounds like he has a defamation case

I'm hoping he does sue.

[duffyduff]

23. I hope so, too,

and gets a good settlement out of it, but he's screwed out of ever being able to resume a teaching career.

This termination was a result of some administrator being insulted because she believed she was being portrayed in that book.

It's all about saving face with these administrators, and they are gods in public ed.

[pacalo]

24. This isn't the country I grew up in. I hope he sues the authoritarian beejesus out of them.

[Skeeter Barnes]

27. The propaganda that a Union worker cannot be fired is a widespread misconception.

I did a good job for my last employer but I had gotten on the bad side of regional level management and they had it in for me. They finally got me on progressive disciplinary action and I waited two months for my discharge hearing.

Despite my Union rep presenting multiple points of order on every disciplinary letter, the arbitrator insisted on hearing the case instead of throwing it out, like it should have been. The charges were non factual, non specific and unjust but it didn't matter. As the hearing progressed it was like being punched in the stomach over and over. The Local presented an over one hour long case on my behalf but I still lost.

The company told multiple lies about me to bolster their case and it worked. I was made out to be a good for nothing when I was actually a reliable and compliant worker. I have a pretty good idea of the sense of injustice that teacher is feeling right now.

If you have a case go before an arbitrator, better go ahead and get your resume in order. You will probably lose. Union power has been eroded to the point that you have only a little more job security than in a non union workplace.

[duffyduff]

31. Teachers are fired easily. All they have is the "right" to a bogus hearing.

The only way teachers get reinstated by school districts is if they have an outside lawyer.

I was psychologically raped by that school district, and all on the basis of lies because a couple of administrators wanted to cover their worthless asses, and I have never recovered any confidence in my ability to teach or to do any kind of meaningful work.

All of the players in a termination hearing are in bed with each other. I learned that the hard way, and I have yet to find regular employment five years later. Never told of my EEOC rights by my "union," and it am sure it was deliberate, so I missed that statute of limitations there.

[Warpy]

28. Now all he needs to do is sue the suit who made the "grooming" crack

for slander and he will probably win.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

29. What exactly were the administration complaining about

we have had three incidents at our school.

[duffyduff]

32. One of the administrators was whining that she felt he portrayed her in that book.

The character, of course, was an unfavorable character.