Yeah, Innappropriate, But Grounds For Firing?
Ryan Haraughty, an eighth grade science teacher made, not really a dirty joke, but a dirty allusion in class -- by accident, it sounds like -- and got fired for it for creating a "sexually hostile environment," after a parent complained.
From Fox4KC:
Haraughty says that the charges that led to his dismissal are based on a single incident, when he drew a map of the United States to help explain how the jet stream works."I drew Florida out of proportion," said Haraughty. "The kids jump all over stuff like that, 'Oh Mr. Haraughty, Florida is all wrong. OK, whatever, not thinking, I said, 'Florida got excited.' And right after, I'm thinking, you know, but I decided I'm not going to dwell on it."
But one parent did dwell on the incident, and complained to the school. And now Haraughty is out of a job and his students left without a teacher.
"He pushes people, he works with you to make sure you do better at school," said former student Kayalie Stabler. "He can be your friend and he can be your teacher."
That sentiment was shared by dozens of students who protested on Tuesday at the Middle School, and hundreds of people who showed up to support hims at the school board meeting on Monday night, where Haraughty was fired on the grounds that he created a sexually hostile environment at school.
Now, if there's some pattern of the guy being inappropriate in class, and he's been warned, okay. But, that doesn't seem to be the case.
My pal, Lenore Skenazy, over at FreeRangeKids, blogs about the idiocy of this, "Can Hearing One Dirty Joke Ruin A Kid?":
Ironically, it's quite possible that this child did move on. But having told mom or dad about the incident, the parent did not. That's because some parents are not only convinced that they can control their child's every experience, they are also convinced that if they don't control it all - that if their kid gets a B when he should have gotten a B+, say, or gets picked last for tag, or sees a movie that's too grown-up, or hears a joke that's shocking, or eventually doesn't get into the "right" college - all bets are off. The kid is hurt, perhaps irreparably.I still remember my friend's 80-year-old grandmother telling me about the time some guy called her and her sister over to his car, and showed them the real world version of the science teacher's drawing of Florida. "We still giggle about that," she said.
Giggle? She didn't consider the experience traumatizing. It didn't become the defining moment of her life. It was a weird and obviously memorable event. But it did not throw her off forever.
We forget how resilient kids are. In fact, we tend to emphasize the potentially terrible consequences of every untoward event (this is a country addicted to TV talk shows, after all). Fearing the worst, we attempt to engineer every moment, forgetting that one of the things that makes kids resilient is dealing with some difficulties.
One R-rated joke by a great science teacher is not going to ruin any kid's life. Growing up with a parent who thinks it will - that's another story.
Growing up without a great science teacher -- that's another story, too.
I wonder if in their rush to get the teacher fired the parents in question ever thought how the label of "thats the asshole who got everyones favorite teacher fired" will effect their child for the next 5 to 7 yrs until graduation.
Becuase trust me students dont show up to a schoolboard meeting to protest a teacher getting fired unless he is the best fucking teacher they ever had.
The parents who got him canned just open their kid up to half a decade of harassment and bullying. Not to mention with no teacher or school staff member who wannt to keep their job will ever say anything to him of at all possible simply to avoid saying anything inaproprate.
Great parenting skills people - in one move you turned turned all your childs classmates into enimes and gaurenteed no faculty member will want anything to do with them.
Bravo
lujlp at December 4, 2009 12:57 AM
You're right - those parents have probably screwed it for their kid.
Amy Alkon at December 4, 2009 1:07 AM
Did you check out the comments on the story?
Some lady named Brenda wrote:
This is EXACTLY the kind of warning signs that appear AFTER something terrible has happened to a child. Pedophiles typically place themselves in jobs where they are around young people. If this behavior has happened before, he should be fired.
And my response
I am so sick of the child molester hysteria. Brenda, your kids are far more likley to be molested by a member of your own familly then a teacher. They are more likley to be molested by a FEMALE teacher then a male teacher. They are more likley to be stuck by lightning three time in one day then be molested by a male teacher.
Statistically speaking YOU are more likley to molest your children then a school teacher
lujlp@hotmail.com at December 4, 2009 1:34 AM
I would like to see how this story plays out. Will the kids get the teacher reinstated?
Of course, it might not have been the parent who over-reacted. Perhaps the parent merely wanted someone to talk to the teacher and the school board over-reacted.
It's entirely possible that he didn't mean to make anything sexual out of his comment but once it was out of his mouth, he realized that what he said could be interpreted that way. Kids at that age giggle over everything. I know a kindergarten teacher whose class giggles at a reference to "pussy willows."
Patrick at December 4, 2009 2:45 AM
Does anyone remember the series of six little paperback books "Truly Tasteless Jokes"? They were the hit of my junior high school (6th thru 8th grade). We, the STUDENTS had them. These parents have their heads up their bums, hoping their 14 year olds' minds are still pure as the driven snow.
juliana at December 4, 2009 4:02 AM
Yes, I remember those. Helen Keller jokes, disability jokes, racist jokes, sexist jokes, etc. Written by Blanche Knott, a pseudonym of Ashton Applewhite.
Patrick at December 4, 2009 4:15 AM
"We forget how resilient kids are."
Actually, I hear a lot about how resilient kids are...but typically in the context of their parents divorcing et al. I think one reason the overparenting thing has become so widespread is that adults take the well-being of their kids into account far less when determining their romantic/marital decisions than they did 50 years ago. (This isn't to say that every single divorce by a set of parents will traumatize kids for life; I have some friends who say that their respective parents' divorces were welcome and way overdue. Some. Not all.)
The older I get, the more grateful I become that my parents weren't the overparenting type...because, among other reasons, when they *did* intervene they got taken *very* seriously. Sex-related stuff among educators is a hot-button issue, so this parent got taken seriously this time, but at some point the administrators will tune him/her out...probably just at the time that something has happened for which his/her child really does need some corrective action.
marion at December 4, 2009 4:40 AM
You're all missing the point. The teacher was a [gasp] MAN! And he was near our PRECIOUS LITTLE BABIES!
PANIC! HYSTERIA! RUNNING AROUND IN LITTLE CIRCLES SCREAMING WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP!
Fuck people.
brian at December 4, 2009 4:48 AM
When I was in high school, there was a math teacher who, if his students did badly on a test, yell that they had their heads up their asses. He may still be there.
The year after I graduated, the school got a new Junior ROTC instructor who would tell students, both male and female, to "sit your twat down!" Apparently, he thought it meant "sit your ass down." I don't remember him getting in any trouble for it; people who took his class told me they were more amused then shocked. I guess in this day and age a mob of hysterical helo-parents would have killed him on the spot.
Folks seem more and more uptight these days, and apparently thought and judgement are forbidden.
old rpm daddy at December 4, 2009 4:56 AM
Well - my parents divorce pretty much divided the children. My sister was an expert at denial, and was devastated when my parents divorced, and spent the rest of her childhood and teen years hoping they would get back together.
I, on the other hand, was sick of the tension in the house that went away when Dad moved out. They made a good job of never fighting in front of us, but it was obvious that they were miserable, and when they decided to split, I heaved a HUGE sigh of relief.
Bill
Bill McNutt at December 4, 2009 5:26 AM
Whaddaya want to bet that the very parent that got this teacher fired allows the child to park him/herself in front of the TV for hours on end, where he/she sees and hears a lot worse humor/innuendo than that teacher would ever come up with? Sadly, there's no way to get the parent fired or even disciplined for that.
cpabroker at December 4, 2009 5:30 AM
???
When I was in Junior High I had the coolest Art teacher, everyone in school loved him. One particular day we where sort of loud and he got a little flustered. He was attmepting to get us to calm down and mistakenly said 'fuck'. That got our attention and we all immediately laughed.
He knew he made a mistake and appologized, but it was still all a big joke to everyone, including him. We got over it, no harm, no foul. I really wonder what would happen if a faux pas happened like this now? The downward spiral continues.
Amax at December 4, 2009 5:41 AM
cpabroker, you made the exact point I wanted to make: These parents who pride themselves on controlling every minute of their children's lives don't think anything about plopping Junior down in front of the TV for hours at a time, where he'll hear far worse.
Yes, it's true that the kid who told his parents had better change schools now if he can, otherwise his life is going to be living hell until he graduates. And don't overlook Brian's point, which is that these parents ran off one of the very few males left in the teaching profession. And people wonder why men aren't interested in teaching. The sad thing is, anyone in any public speaking position who tries to make lectures and speeches interesting, and inject a bit of humor here and there, is going to mis-speak now and then. (Many good politicians have learned this lesson the hard way.) So it's the good instructors who are most vulnerable. Much safer to simply read verbatim from the textbook, even if it puts the class to sleep.
Patrick, I don't know if the students can make any difference, but you never know until you try. When I was an undergrad, I had a calc class taught by a short and spunky lady who was an excellent instructor and graciously engaged in a bit of self-deprecating humor at the start of each class, when she had to ask a student to erase the top part of the chalkboard because she couldn't reach it. Near the end of the quarter, word got around that her contract wasn't going to be renewed for the next school year (she was non-tenured). Well, several of us in her class thought that was a travesty, so we launched a conspiracy. At the end of the quarter, when the teacher evaluation forms were handed out, every single person in the class agreed to give her top marks in every category.
We never heard exactly what went down after that. Surely the administration realized that the evaluations had been rigged. But they must have been impressed by the fact that the students would conspire on her behalf, because they renewed her.
Cousin Dave at December 4, 2009 6:37 AM
Clearly this is crap, and he shouldn't have been disciplined in any way, much less fired. However, I'd have more sympathy for him if he weren't such a whiny, emoting, in touch with his feelings sort of a fellow:
"I feel like it was what I was meant to do. I feel like God gave me the ability to connect with kids to bring my love and enthusiasm for learning and share that, and, it feels like people are trying to take away my purpose. And it really, really hurts."
I kind of want to smack him.
Robin at December 4, 2009 7:05 AM
I really, really wish this country would run out of bubblewrap.
These overprotected, over-sheltered kids are going to grow up to be entitlement-minded, helpless adults.
I weep for the future.
Ann at December 4, 2009 7:22 AM
Cousin Dave, that's good to hear. I'm glad to know you made a difference. And like you, I agree that brian's point should not be overlooked. Being male is now basically means you're guilty of being a sex offender. And even a relatively innocuous slip up just proves you're guilty.
Robin, I think most people would feel the same way, in his position. The only difference, he gave voice to his feelings.
Why else would someone be attracted to teaching? Not the money, that's for damned sure. So, do you object to him for feeling that way? Because if you do, you may as well start hating every teacher you know. Or at least every male teacher. I keep forgetting only females have the right to have feelings.
Or do you merely hate him for saying it? In that case, I think you should cut him some slack. It's not every time a teacher gets fired that the national spotlight is thrown on him. Maybe without the attention given to this case, he'd have reacted in a way more suited to your delicate sensibilities.
But I have no fear that he'll find another teaching job somewhere else. Surely the whole nation hasn't gone totally insane just yet.
Or has it?
Patrick at December 4, 2009 7:32 AM
"Or has it?"
Might have already, at least for a little while, as long as having grievances is more stylish than actually solving any problems. The rate we're going, everybody will be more and more indignant over more and more trivial things, until one day, everyone on the planet will be furious about nothing.
old rpm daddy at December 4, 2009 7:52 AM
Perhaps this school should be inundated by people telling them how ridiculous they are; it may have helped little Zachary Christie in Delaware.
Juliana at December 4, 2009 7:55 AM
Actually, I didn't say I hated him. I said I'd be more sympathetic without the yammering on about his feelings. It's not a man thing. It's a not spilling your guts thing. I dislike hearing women do it as well.
Robin at December 4, 2009 8:04 AM
Oops, should be: "It's a spilling your guts thing."
Every time I skip preview, it bites me in the ass.
Robin at December 4, 2009 8:05 AM
"I really, really wish this country would run out of bubblewrap." I love this line!!! the only sad thing is bubblewrap is super fun to pop, so I guess I would want the world to start popping it! LOL
I think it's crap that he got fired over that statement. I had a teacher as a freshman in high school who would point out all of the sexual innuendos in our literature books. AND if someone in the class didn't get it he would repeat it, while the class was laughing because they didn't understand, until they got it or he felt they were too clueless to get it.
MizB at December 4, 2009 8:50 AM
The rate we're going, everybody will be more and more indignant over more and more trivial things, until one day, everyone on the planet will be furious about nothing.
Seriously, oldrpmdaddy! It seems like we're getting closer and closer to that with every passing day. Back in the day, teachers actually had authority over their classrooms. Now the parents do, and they can do whatever they want to undermine the effectiveness of any teacher they choose.
I think it's crap that he got fired over that statement.
I think so too, MizB.
Flynne at December 4, 2009 8:57 AM
Well, shit. I guess this means no one can read Shakespeare ever again.
MonicaP at December 4, 2009 9:02 AM
"Florida! Arrrgh, that's America's wang." - Homer Simpson.
Conan the Grammarian at December 4, 2009 9:07 AM
I was bugged by the term "hostile" as connected to a silly reference to male excitement, so I googled "sexually hostile environment" and read the abstract, which referred to sexual harrassment, and then I was totally distracted by the following phrase:
"...the lack of unwelcomeness does not guarantee a lack of harm."
With language this clumsy it's no wonder we don't know how to interpret anything. I once read a statement that labeled people with sound minds and bodies as "non-disabled." Aaaarrrggghhh!
Pricklypear at December 4, 2009 9:31 AM
Ok,
First, being very sarcastic, those of you who aren't parents, aren't allowed to criticize the decision of this kids parents, as you don't know what you are talking about.
Seriously, someone needs to bitchslap the hell out of these people.
E. Steven Berkimer at December 4, 2009 10:55 AM
We watched the Romeo and Juliette movie with boobs in it in English class, and read stories about bestiality. It wasn't THAT long ago. My teacher also had me do an impromtu book report of Geralds Game when she saw me reading it one day, which is about a woman handcuffed for sex then abandoned to die. My teacher'd be on death row were that florida, apparently.
momof4 at December 4, 2009 11:31 AM
FYI - This incident happened in Kansas, not in Florida.
It was the comment that followed his out-of-proportion drawing of Florida that raised the ire of a Kansas parent and the school board.
Conan the Grammarian at December 4, 2009 12:15 PM
"These overprotected, over-sheltered kids are going to grow up to be entitlement-minded, helpless adults."
I looks to me like things are going to get very ugly for a while; creating an environment where many of those overprotected children won't grow up at all.
parabarbarian at December 4, 2009 1:18 PM
I have been working in education for several years now, (I am not a teacher, but a teacher aide), and let me assure you that educators make mistakes all the time and most of the time they are just ignored - at least at the schools I know of here in Aus - there is many a slip twixt cup and lip, whatever your job is.
In Learning Support we have all learned never to ask a child to give us a word that rhymes with duck, as they tend to go through the alphabet letter by letter. Once, when on a playground duty, I told all 60 children in the undercroft that the ones with the big balls should go on the oval and the ones with the small balls could stay undercover. The children were all bouncing soccer and tennis balls around the undercroft and there was not an ounce of harm intended in what I said I was just trying to sort out a bunch of kids into groups. Luckily, if they noticed, they just ignored it, but had they said anything, I am absolutely positive my bosses would have smiled at my stupidity and told me to be more careful next time. It never even occurred to me not to tell anybody, I told my colleagues at break and we had a laugh at how daft I had been and they shared similar stories. It must be horrendous to work in such an environment of fear that you are scared to make a normal, human mistake every second of your working day.
I could give you lots of other instances of pretty much every member of staff from the Dean downwards saying something which they wish they hadn't. However long you have worked with children, however mature, educated and careful you are, we do not get to scrub every word that comes out of our mouths with the p.c. brush until it bleeds. Human beings sometimes say the wrong with, that's it, anybody who says they would not or have not is either a liar or seriously deluded.
IF this WAS truly all he said or did which they considered out of line, then it is a good thing for him really that he was fired because the people he works with are fools and he deserves better.
Alison Dennehy at December 4, 2009 1:53 PM
"Statistically speaking YOU are more likley to molest your children then a school teacher "
Bingo, Luj. Methinks she dost protest too much.
Alison, your last point makes sense.
Cousin Dave, you made the main point - this guy was presumed guilty of the Great Heinous because he was male. He should sue the district for discrimination and sue those worthless parents for slander and libel. I hope they have to sell their worthless spawn to pay the judgment.
Jim at December 4, 2009 3:21 PM
The most horrifyingly embarrassing thing I ever said to one of my middle school students was the time I loudly yelled, "Oliver! Stop sitting on your balls!" (Our basketball coach had just told the boys to all stop sitting on the basketballs.) Of course I realized how terrible that sounded about half a second after the snickering began. For the rest of the year I would occasionally hear the other boys harass poor Oliver by quoting me, and just today one of my coworkers was teasing me about it when she spotted another kid sitting on his basketball.
Brandyjane at December 4, 2009 3:37 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2009/12/04/yeah_innappropr.html#comment-1680659">comment from BrandyjaneThat's very funny - which is just how it should be taken.
Amy Alkon at December 4, 2009 3:55 PM
Robin: "I kind of want to smack him."
That is something wrong with you, not him.
Some lady named Brenda: "This is EXACTLY the kind of warning signs that appear AFTER something terrible has happened to a child. Pedophiles typically place themselves in jobs where they are around young people."
Sigh ... can't we make brain-dead hysteria illegal? 'Pedophiles place themselves in jobs where they are around young people, this guy did too, therefore this guy is a pedophile' - uh, nope, welcome to 'Logical Fallacies for 3-year-olds': 'Tables have four legs, a cow has four legs, therefore a cow is a table'. How can people be so mind-numbingly stoopid.
Lobster at December 4, 2009 5:33 PM
... and 'warning signs' can't 'appear after something has happened' either; that doesn't even make sense.
Lobster at December 4, 2009 5:35 PM
Should have been "sometimes say the wrong thing". Sorry for typo.
Alison Dennehy at December 4, 2009 10:21 PM
I think a lot of the issue is peer pressure on adults; and fear of CPS.
My ex-gf doesn't want to over-parent, but worries about being caught. The local rural school district has a combination campus of elementary, middle & senior high. The running track is about 1/4-1/2 a mile from the playground.
She would like to go run there and let the 10, 8, & 5 year old go on the playground but is worried someone would report her for not watching the kids.
This campus is so far out in the sticks that their own school buses have problems finding it. ;-)
Jim P. at December 5, 2009 5:01 AM
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