How is this still a thing that happens? A school in Tennessee has refused to renew a contract with a beloved teacher, and gee whiz what a coincidence, it happened right after he helped some kids start a GSA.
Harassment at the Union County High School in Tennessee seems to be at epidemic proportions, with anonymous homophobic posters going up in the hallways. Sixty years ago, it would have been about black students; forty years ago, it might’ve been about Jews; now here we are in 2016 and apparently nobody’s learned anything from history.
After Chris Richeson helped some students start a GSA, he too became a target for harassment — from his coworkers. He says that school officials repeatedly pressured him to change the club, and stood in the way of club activities, even stuff as basic as making announcements.
Finally, the school told him they wouldn’t renew his contract, but not why. It isn’t too hard to guess.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Richeson says that there is literally zero record of any disciplinary activity against him, and that he had the highest performance rating it was possible for a teacher to have. So why else would they let him go?
It’s like in the 1970s, when California homophobes tried to put a bill on the ballot that would legalize the firing of any teacher even suspected of homosexuality. Back then, Harvey Milk helped defeat the measure. It’s a shame that Tennessee of 2016 is so far behind California of 1978.
He says that he’ll be leaving Tennessee, but his students aren’t so lucky. They’re stuck in a dangerous school that would rather sweep their very existence under the rug than protect them. Will there be another instructor at the school brave enough to stand up to this harassment and protect the kids left behind? Hopefully.
But it’s understandable that teachers would be afraid to take that step now. Instead, they may have to start something more secretive and underground — a hidden GSA, like how LGBTs had to creep around in the shadows in the 1950s. It’s ridiculous that in this day and age, we’re forcing kids to live like it’s the 1950s.
There’s a petition to reinstate Chris at the school. As of now it has 616 signatures. If we were him, we’d be reluctant to head back — maybe instead the petition should be for defending the ongoing existence of the school’s GSA.
gayhope1990
The bigots love spreading their hate.The southern of the US is so backwards.
Mykaels
“How is this still a thing that happens?”
Why do people still act shocked that this happens?
Billy Budd
The guy did a good, human, positive thing, and got fired for it. Shame on the US.
DCguy
Done, the courts need to firee the administrators and investigate the other teachers and staff for harassment. Maybe a whole scale firing of most of the staff will finally get it through these bigoted southern rednecks that the days of continuing their quite rac-ism and bigotry and being allowed to are over.
Jim
Let’s hope the ACLU helps him get his job back.
tzwicky
This is the time for a Geography Club at that worthless school.
Daniel-Reader
The students should wear “Jesus is Gay, so Gay is Okay” t-shirts and sue for religious discrimination if anyone tries to stop them.
Malcolm Forest
@Billy Budd: @Billy Budd: When I was young, I believed the USA was the most fantastic country in the world and a Beacon For Human Rights, Liberation and Democracy.
Now I think the USA is only barely one step above the Islamic State.
I am so grateful I live in Europe.
He BGB
Actually it was gays 60 and 40 years ago, too, not just black and jewish. I remember in 1970 my friend running for vice president of student counsel and some one had marked thru vice president and wrote in magic marker “queer”. Of course the staff did nothing. He won though.this was back in the day before we claimed the word queer with oride, of course
Brian
We need to get our assess to Union County High School in Tennessee and ask to see the principal. He or she is responsible for what happens at that school.
Ogre Magi
It’s the South, why does that surprise anyone?