Oregon Teacher of Year threatened with discipline. He stands against bullying of LGBT students.

[madfloridian]

There is no way to sum this up in just a few paragraphs. The article must be read.

I will quote his bio from his Twitter site.

I am the first Special Education to be Oregon's Teacher of the year. I am humbled by that honor. My words are my opinions and nobody elses.

Teacher of the Year Threatened With Discipline After Filing Complaints


From the article Brett Bigham and President Obama

Oregon’s Teacher of the Year in 2014 says he has been threatened with disciplinary action by his school district if he attends a national education award ceremony in the capital this week.

Brett Bigham, the first openly gay teacher of the year to use the position as a platform for LGBT rights, spent the better part of 2014 criss-crossing the state giving speeches about how LGBT students can deal with bullying. He now claims he's become the victim of bullying, as his own district, he says, is retaliating against his attempts to fight back.

...During a time Bigham said he faced "constant harassment," he was selected for another national award. However, senior MESD staff denied him leave to attend the National Education Association’s awards gala to accept the 2015 Award for Teaching Excellence from Oregon.

I was impressed by his words from the article:

“I spent this year talking about LGBT kids and how teachers need to stand up for them against bullies,” said Bigham. “I’ve faced this kind of bullying from my district, and I feel like a hypocrite if I don’t stand up to it.

There is much more to the article, but I will have to add these two paragraphs and let you read the rest.

After the Jan. 27, 2014 speech at the Columbia Gorge Education Service District, Bigham alleges then MESD Director of Functional Life Skills Jeanne Zuniga told him to stop referencing his sexuality in his speeches.

Zuniga, Jorgensen, and three others are named in TCSP correspondence, dated Jan. 8, 2015, regarding the September complaint. Bigham later filed another complaint, with the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Nov. 24, alleging retaliation for filing his first complaint with TSPC, among other things.

[madfloridian]

1. Need to get this paragraph included.

In the BOLI complaint, Bigham claims his classroom was rearranged, his support staff sent to other departments, that he was denied appearences at LGBT youth events, that he is subject to a hostile work environment and unlawful employment practices. The complaint also states Bigham tried to resign the week of April 8, 2014, but his resignation was denied by then Assistant MESD Superintendent Jim Rose.

“I spent this year talking about LGBT kids and how teachers need to stand up for them against bullies,” said Bigham. “I’ve faced this kind of bullying from my district, and I feel like a hypocrite if I don’t stand up to it."

[msongs]

9. a resignation can't be denied. turn in the paper and walk out the door n t

[DonRedwood]

11. Teachers have different rules

Teachers can lose their licenses for not completing their contract/the school year.

[sabrina 1]

10. Bullies, there are bullies everywhere it seems. I am glad this has gone public. Exposing them

for the world to see rather than allowing to hide in their own small corner where they feel safe.

All those who participated in the harassment and in stopping him from accepting his awards, should be fired. They are not fit to be involved with children in any capacity.

Good for him. Shame on them.

[SoapBox]

13. Ditto to there being bullies everywhere.

Amazing what a good person like this has to put up with.

[madfloridian]

17. You are so right, Sabrina.

[sabrina 1]

19. I wonder if there has ever been a study on the cause of bullying? I know there are many

factors that lead to someone have so little empathy for other human beings that they feel the urge to control them.

I think there should be an effort to find out if it is environmental, or some form of mental illness that could be treated.

Considering the enormous negative effects of the behavior, not just in the lives of ordinary people, but they seem to seek out power which results in terrible consequences for millions of people.

If it was studied, we could more easily identify the traits in those who run for office eg, in a clinical way. It would be easier to diagnose them and deter such individuals from getting anywhere near the reins of power.

Just wondering as it is so often dismissed as just 's'he's a bully' when imo there is something deeper going on.

[madfloridian]

21. Yes, when I was teaching we had some meetings on it.

The thing I remember most is that most bullies are insecure within themselves.

You know I posted some reports here a few years ago. Wonder if I can find them?

[sabrina 1]

23. That would be interesting to read, if you find them. Still, lots of people are insecure

but they have enough empathy for other human beings not to try to hurt them deliberately.

I'm sure it is a component, but since not all insecure people react with such malice, I think bullying is more likely a symptom of some kind of psychotic illness, ranging from mild to severe (when it results in real harm to others, and there is a total lack of remorse or empathy.

I'm not a psychologist, so I'm just wondering really. But a lot of people are hurt by the behavior and yet, it doesn't get the kind of attention other harmful behaviors get.

[madfloridian]

26. I just found something I wrote about 8 yrs ago at another forum.

Just some thoughts I put together about bullies on the left and the right.

I am not sure which is more dangerous to our country right now....the bullies from the right or those on the left.

Before I retired from teaching, we were working on tactics with various groups to end some of the bullying going on in our schools. It has become even more entrenched in our culture now. The tactics of bullies are used well by this administration.....Rove is a master tactician and bully. They are using college students to do this in a scary way. Professors, many of whom are my friends, have been ridiculed by these master bullies. Some of these folks are embedded among supporters of some candidates. It is part of their tactic, astroturfing, and bullying.

It is easy to identify the bullies on the right because they are in positions of power from which to assert their bully nature....DeLay is one, Frist is one, also Sensenbrenner. There are many others, and they are there because of 30 years of planning by the right.

We expect it from the right. It is a battle we have to fight as a party.

What I don't think most people expected was the bullying from the left wing of the party, many of whom want to have no party at all. A good way to hurt a party's effectiveness is to verbally assault and insult the chairman and those who supported him. If you don't want a party to succeed against the bullying right, send in the bullying left.

(I left out a portion that no longer applies...was about politics then not now.)


Things about bullies, both right and left wing, miscellaneous quotes:

"Bullies will pick on nice people. They operate on a risk-reward ratio. They throw their stuff out there and test to see if they can knock you off balance, fluster you. If you are weak or just swallow it, the bully owns you."

"Most people self-correct, they will even apologize. Bullies never self-correct, and the reason is they hold everyone else responsible for their behavior. To change, you have to be willing to take responsibility for your own actions, and bullies do not. All of our reasonable, logical, compassionate attempts to get along with a bully will backfire."

"To avoid being targeted, one should follow the example of the cat confronted by a dog: If the cat runs, the dog runs after it. But if the cat doesn't budge, the dog walks around it.

"When you watch TV, you see kids bad-mouthing their parents. You see shows like 'Survivor' and the reality shows where the more aggressive and manipulative and conniving you are, the more you are rewarded. We are growing up in a culture where 'dissing' each other is the norm.

"Even laugh tracks. Remember 'The Weakest Link?' The host would ridicule the contestants and everyone was laughing en masse at this individual and they were just supposed to buck up and take it. Boy, are our values getting confused when this is held up as an example!"

"The common stereotype of a bullied person is someone who is weak, an oddball or a loner. On the contrary, the target chosen by an adult bully will very often be a capable, dedicated staff member, well liked by co-workers. Bullies are most likely to pick on people with an ability to cooperate and a non-confrontative interpersonal style. The bully considers their capability a threat, and determines to cut them down."

Just a few thoughts.

[sabrina 1]

28. Thank you, that is very well written and excellent observations.

Rove is the archtypical bully. He possesses the traits I mentioned above, that border on psychosis.

Those reality shows, including ones like the Apprentice, where and kind of decency or unwillingness to undermine or bully other people, is considered weak.

Our culture encourages this. Which to me, shows how weak as a nation, we have become.

See the glorification of the Sniper, a man who stated he 'enjoyed killing'.

Real heroes are never mentioned, the ones who risk their own lives to do what is right. To me eg, Kevin Benderman was a real hero. Unlike the Sniper, when ordered to kill children he refused.

As for who is worse, the ones on the Right or the Left, frankly having dealt with both, I have to say the Left. For one thing, they divide the party and that means strengthening the Right.

I believe the country is going through some serious growing pains, we are still a young country. I hope we will mature and begin to see what real strength is and aspire to it, someday.

Thank you for that piece, it is really very well thought out.

[RKP5637]

36. Excellent!!! n/t

[DonRedwood]

24. A lot of schools

Do anti bullying training now....but not enough.

[DonRedwood]

31. An interview with the news--from October-they've been harassing him for a while

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Oregon-Teacher-of-the-Year-says-school-bullied-him-because-he-is-gay--278461071.html?mobile=y

[DonRedwood]

2. Kick and rec

[madfloridian]

3. .....

Thanks. I don't think I have seen you around for a while. Board moves so fast.

[DonRedwood]

5. I have not posted on DU for a year or so

A little bird told me I should check out your post.

[madfloridian]

4. Ha. I just found a post in your journal...it HAS been a while. This made me chuckle.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023830292

It has been a while. That was a great thread. I missed it before.

[DonRedwood]

6. I had forgotten about that!

Back in the days when I had some time on my hands.

[DonRedwood]

7. Thanks

For sharing this story.

[madfloridian]

8. You are welcome.

I loved it.. Looks like you left after I came back after being gone a year. Lordy there are so many of the old DUers missing. I miss them.

[DonRedwood]

14. I was reading, just not posting

[DonRedwood]

15. I missed your posts while you were gone

[madfloridian]

16. Well, now that we both are back....I expect to see some more posting from you.

Always one of my favorites. I mean that.

[DonRedwood]

18. Do I need to,thank you for the hearts?

[madfloridian]

20. Next question?

[madfloridian]

12. Excellent radio interview with Bigham.

http://kmuz.org/special-needs-special-people-1202015-brett-bigham/

[DonRedwood]

25. Thank you kindly

Looks like twitter has been sharing this too

[DonRedwood]

30. The teacher runs a prom for special needs

http://m.golocalpdx.com/news/teacher-of-the-year-threatened-with-discipline-after-filing-complaint

[BainsBane]

22. A good lawyer should be able to handle this

By filing suit against the school district. Their behavior is astounding: not giving him leave to accept an NEA award? Schools love it when their teachers win awards. That refusal helps substantiate his charges. What jerks. And they are in Oregon too; it's not like it's Alabama.

[madfloridian]

27. Exactly, it's Oregon.

Surprising to see such actions there.

[Bluenorthwest]

34. This takes place in Oregon's Second Congressional district, our only Republican district which

is geographically very large, primarily rural and extremely Republican....but he's going to the award event, count on it.

[DonRedwood]

29. You would think

[Manifestor_of_Light]

33. Sue the bastards! It's the only way to get their attention!!

Free legal advice, you're welcome.

[madfloridian]

32. Today's tweet. District will allow him to go to convention if he withdraws complaint.

https://twitter.com/2014ORTOY/status/565170049963786240

[madfloridian]

35. Last-minute agreement allows 2014 Oregon Teacher of the Year to attend D.C. awards gala

Last-minute agreement allows 2014 Oregon Teacher of the Year to attend D.C. awards gala

http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2015/02/district_threatens_discipline.html

A last-minute agreement will allow Oregon's 2014 Teacher of the Year to attend a national award conference without fear of termination.

Brett Bigham, a special education teacher for the Multnomah Education Service District, is scheduled to fly to Washington D.C. Wednesday to be recognized along with 38 other state honorees at the National Education Association's Foundation awards gala. The district had previously refused to approve the trip and threatened Bigham with discipline if he took unauthorized leave to attend. The district reversed course Tuesday and agreed to approve Bigham's trip following conversations with the Oregon Education Association union.

In October of 2013 Bigham was the first openly gay educator to be named Oregon Teacher of the Year. Bigham teaches in the district's transition program, which helps special education students from ages 18 to 21 with work and life skills. He has also organized a prom for special needs students. In his sixth year with the district, Bigham said his students have medical concerns or struggle with behavior issues.

Last year the Oregon Education Association nominated Bigham to receive the National Education Association Foundation award for teaching excellence, which he will be recognized for at the Washington D.C. gala on Friday. The district received $650 as part of his award.

But when Bigham made plans to attend the ceremony, the district objected.