Teacher says principal ordered Bush portrait removed from classroom

[quaoar]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0721053bush1.html

JULY 21--A New York woman claims that she was forced from her teaching post by an elementary school principal who objected to her Republican activism and last year ordered the removal of a portrait of President George W. Bush from the educator's Long Island classroom. In a federal discrimination lawsuit, Jillian Caruso, 26, claims that she was improperly forced to resign her job by Birch Lane Elementary School principal Joyce Becker-Seddio, the wife of state Assemblyman Frank Seddio, a Brooklyn Democrat. In her U.S. District Court complaint, a copy of which you'll find below, Caruso contends that she was retaliated against by Becker-Seddio because of her political work, which has included volunteering at last year's GOP convention and membership in the Republican National Committee. Caruso, who taught first and third graders at Birch Lane, also claims that when the principal spotted the Bush portrait late last year--it was hanging among photos of other U.S. presidents--she "became outraged and insisted that the picture be removed." Caruso, who complied with that order, has named the Massapequa Union Free School District as the sole defendant in her action, which seeks unspecified monetary damages and a reappointment to her prior teaching post.

[Bucky]

1. This is a dupe, I think... (Pause) ... Bingo! Here's the DU link!

Teacher says principal ordered Bush portrait removed from classroom started earlier today

www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4159597

[quaoar]

22. different forum

[bluestateguy]

2. Hmmm

In North Korea and in Saddam Hussein's Iraq classrooms had to display towering photos of "The Leader".

[RC]

3. Pictures of other Presidents, such as Bill Clinton?

[Jack Rabbit]

4. The lady might have a legitmate gripe

EDITED for typing

We would definitely think so if the shoe were on the other foot.

Caruso, who taught first and third graders at Birch Lane, also claims that when the principal spotted the Bush portrait late last year--it was hanging among photos of other U.S. presidents--she "became outraged and insisted that the picture be removed."

The only thing I would find wrong with the display is that Bush really isn't president, but since that's not an opinion universally shared, there would have to be some other reason for the portrait to be removed.

[Bucky]

5. Yep, that was the gist of the early thread. Freedom of Speech includes GOP

The principal clearly crossed the line here. I'm not saying I'd ever hang a picture of Bush in my classroom, but it's certainly an acceptable thing to do in a public building. Think about post offices, Social Security offices, police stations around the country--many carry presidential portraits and change them every four to eight years.

[Jack Rabbit]

9. I'd love to see Bush's picture hanging in a post office, Bucky

:evilgrin:

[DuckFan4ever]

28. That's funny.

But since most people recognize him, it's unlikely his picture would need to be posted.

[catnhatnh]

7. Depends...

the "other presidents" he was hung among could be Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Bush 1...."see, I have a BUNCH of presidents here."...

[Bucky]

8. That's a stretch. If the Rove controversy should teach us anything...

You have to condemn wrong doing no matter what side of the fence it originates from. If you don't condemn it on your side, like the conservative blog-o-sphere's doing in the Plame scandal, you end up looking like a hypocrit when the dust settles, as certainly the conservative blog-o-sphere will once the fat lady advisor starts singing and the little monkey starts dancing to the frog march.

[NoSheep]

11. Yes. I never refer to that thief as "president".

Put his pic on a post office wall with the other 9 most wanted criminals and i'll agree.

[mikelewis]

20. Think about the impact on the children...

Are you nuts, they don't allow obscene images in classrooms. I'd have let her keep it up, I would just have made her cover it

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Remember the middle school teacher

last fall who claimed she was fired for having a picture of bush in her classroom? Turned out she taught English (so pictures of presidents were not needed in her classroom), she had an autographed picture of bush and pickles and it was part of a shrine to the prez. She was a repuke delegate to the RNC, and an organizer for the bush campaign in her area. She told her students she was glad they weren't old enough to vote when they said they supported Kerry. And she told them they should be 'ashamed' to be Democrats. Parents complained and she was advised to take the picture down.

Now, let's hear the rest of THIS story.

[cliss]

19. At my office, we had a similar situation.

We had a little "Fundie" receptionist sitting at the front. On her computer, she created a 'wallpaper' that was a photo of Bush on the top half and Cheney on the bottom half. Whenever she left, the thing would default to the Bush/Cheney picture.

At first, I was startled to see those Ugly Criminals on her computer as I walked by.

This little trickster even went on vacation, and made sure everyone was forced to look at their unsightly faces. Finally, people started to complain. The girl was told to get rid of the wallpaper.

The REALLY ironic part of this was, she and her poorly paid husband ADORED Bush and Cheney. These are the very same people who would think nothing of impoverishing this country so these two might be faced with unemployment, losing their home, and even going hungry. That's what gets me.

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. So what did she say when they asked her to get rid of it?

Did she get a lawyer?

[cliss]

35. No, I think she's absolutely

dumbfounded that anyone would dislike her Beloved President.

Just couldn't figure it out.

[Contrary1]

10. She suffers "loss of enjoyment of life"

So do the 1800+ troops, and countless number of Iraqi citizens who have died in Shrub's war so far.

[niceypoo]

15. She is prepping them to be NeoCon youth......

TO fight in future wars on terra. How Dare they remove the portrait of der ChimpenFuror!!! Actually I doubt the story. "republican activist"'s tend to be major liars. She probabally heard the prncipal was a "Card carryin' librul".

[buzzard]

12. I see no problem as long as it's a wanted poster(portrait). n/t

[readermostly]

13. I'm wondering if there may be something more to her dismissal. I may be

wrong, but I get the feeling there might be more to this. Surely the school district wouldn't have allowed her termination for hanging a picture.

[DuckFan4ever]

29. Principals have broad latitude in who works in their building.

In most cases, if the teacher has less than 3 years experience, then they can be dismissed without any reason given. This woman was 26, so she probably was just finishing her 2nd or 3rd year.

[ncteechur]

14. I only know that NC law says that a teacher cannot proselytize students

on religious or political issues. If the teacher is openly republican and hangs a picture of * in her classroom as activism, she would be in violation of NC General Statutes. If his picture is hanging along with those of other presidents, then her principal would be incorrect.

Sounds like the principal may lose this one. Also, in NC statutes, the teacher may not be eligible for very much in monetary damages other than back pay and her job back. The principal may be disciplined. I think the teacher would have to demonstrate injury to receive money of any real amount which I don't think she could show.

Of course the law is a wierd thing.

[PennyK]

16. I THOUGHT that school sounded familiar!

Massapequa is about three minutes from where I live. Of course, so is the Island Trees School District, where "Catcher In The Rye" was banned a while back. And then you have Mepham High School, of the football team abuse, and the lovely Amy Fisher, who attended JFK HS in South Bellmore.
All within about six miles of each other...think there's something in the water on Long Island?

[Nikki Stone 1]

17. A purely aesthetic decision no doubt.

Who wants the chimp's ugly mug on the wall anyway. A nice photo of Brad Pitt, now....there's some nice wall hanging. ;)

[The Jacobin]

18. "objected to her Republican activism"

Note those words. This was just the straw that broke the camel's back. She probably had been a royal pain in the ass for quite some time.

[adolfo]

21. The only place where Bush's picture belongs...

..is _______________________.

[ncteechur]

23. the bottom of a urinal?

[demwing]

24. Suck It Up, DU

If the picture was one of a group of pictures of presidents, representative of both parties, and especially if presented chronologically, then the teacher is right, the principle is wrong, and all the belly-aching in the world would not (and should not) change that.

If, OTOH, it was just one of many in a Republican shrine, then it was right and well that the pic should be taken down.

The facts will become known eventually. Until then, all else is speculation.

[Guaranteed]

25. This is an old story, IIRC, and there was a lot more to it.

It's been recycled, and it's not complete. There was more going on.

[fujiyama]

34. I'm kind of skeptical of this woman's claim

That's because repukes rarely have any credibility anyways.

But I agree that if this was just a set of presidential pictures (from Washington to the criminal chimp), then it's fine. I personally question his legitimacy but that's not acknowledged by many. Even if it was just a picture of the president, I hate to admit, it's OK (though it's damn creepy seeing "Dear Leader's" photo in a fuckin classroom). Though if that were the case, I'd probably be more on the side of the principal, because it would seem more like overt political expression in the classroom, devoid of any historical context.

[m_welby]

27. if I remember the original story correctly...

the picture of gw was much much much larger than the other presidential portraits. It's not like it was part of a display of presidents.

That makes a huge difference, I have no problem with a portrait of 'the current president' or portraits of all the presidents, but this was propaganda plain and simple.

[DuckFan4ever]

30. Doesn't seem to be a problem.

It would make sense the current occupant would be larger than the others. If all the principals who served in the school were posted, it would make sense to have the current principal's picture larger than the rest.

[johnnie]

31. Bullshit!!

Tell the lazy repuke teacher to get off her lazy ass and find a job instead of blaming everyone else.
:evilgrin:

[samsingh]

32. Jillian should join the army and go fight for Bush in Iraq.

[fujiyama]

33. Agred

Worthless fuckin chickenhawk.