Student teacher ousted for gay marriage comments

[The Straight Story]

Student teacher ousted for gay marriage comments
He told 4th-grader he would choose to marry a man if it were legal


PORTLAND, Ore. — A candid conversation between a student teacher and a fourth-grader about gay marriage led to his abrupt dismissal from the Beaverton School District.

Seth Stambaugh, a student teacher at Sexton Mountain elementary school, was apparently dismissed after answering a fourth-grader's question about his marital status by saying it would be illegal for him to marry because he would choose to marry a man.

The controversy has led to denials of anti-gay discrimination by the district, the student teacher scrambling to meet academic requirements, a lawyer weighing options for a lawsuit, and a graduate education program using the incident as a teachable moment.

Stambaugh is in the Master of Education program at Lewis and Clark College. At the start of the current school year, he and his colleagues all started student-teaching in area schools as part of the practicum portion of their education.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39584217/ns/local_news-portland_or/

[RKP5637]

1. Good! "a lawyer weighing options for a lawsuit" n/t

[mzteris]

2. one parent filed a complaint because

Stambaugh had dressed inappropriately. Stambaugh was wearing pressed slacks, an oxford-style shirt and his grandfather's cardigan.

:rofl:



I'm sorry this part was just funny.

I hope the lawsuit goes through and he gets a job and back pay. Mostly, I hope, this raises the level of awareness and dialogue.

here's what I'm thinking - all of the violence and horrible stories we're hearing are the "last gasp" attempt by the right wing fundamentalists to "combat" lgbt acceptance. I think they're losing the battle and losing big, and they're becoming desperate. And in their desperation they're committing despicable acts that will only serve to push those "middle of the roaders" to the side of acceptance because they're appalled by the actions of the hateful bigots.



But still - he complained about a cardigan????? :rofl: (fyi: the complaint was dismissed by the school)

edit to add: "hanged out with"? Where did that writer attend schools?"

[madinmaryland]

4. Ironic, but if the writer had had a teacher such as Mr. Stambaugh, he would

probably be able to write and construct sentences using correct grammar.

[Sabriel]

6. How dare he dress like Mr. Rogers?

The nerve!

[AwakeAtLast]

7. If he's a Student Teacher he gets no pay at all

and I'm not sure how he would be able to sue when you are placed in the position like an intern. The lawyers will have a tough time with this one, but I welcome it because there needs to be a precedent for gay teachers. They should not feel like they need to hide.

[mzteris]

9. you're right -

though some kind of "damages" as it interfered with his education and possibly getting a future job.

Another reason I loved my son's charter school - openly lesbian teacher - embraced by the school.

[jmm]

3. Are wedding rings are banned at the school?

This district insists they don't discriminate so surely they don't allow heterosexuals to address the topic of their marital status :eyes:.

[teenagebambam]

5. As a gay teacher...

...I can see how there was a problem with his response. I can think of a few responses that would have been a bit more appropriate for a fourth grader with even having to broach the topic of orientation.

[Bigmack]

8. Me too...

Although I taught HS, I always told my several student teachers not to do anything controversial.... I could get away with a lot... a whole lot... but a student teacher has very little "idiosyncratic credit". I told them if they wanted to try something, tell me, and then we would both agree it was my idea.

Having said that... I would have covered my student teacher's ass better than this. A quiet discussion with the student teacher, during which we would get our story straight (no double meaning intended), and a general smoothing of ruffled feathers would go a long way.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Not an appropriate thing to say to a 4th grader

I'd also like to know the context. I don't understand how a discussion about marital status happens in a 4th grade classroom. I've spent 31 years teaching in elementary schools and can't remember one time when I discussed marital status with any students.

At any rate, I still think his response was inappropriate.