Oklahoma Board of Education Member Says Pregnant Hire Could Be "Worthless"

[proud2BlibKansan]

The Associated Press reports that an Oklahoma Board of Education official is under fire after questioning the hiring of a pregnant woman. Upon hearing that the school board opted to hire Jessica Russell, who is set to give birth in April, former State Senator Herb Rozell remarked “If she has that baby in April and takes off six weeks, she's worthless to us. She won’t be able to keep up.” The remark, made in front of the Board of Education and Ms. Russell, garnered some awkward laughter. Superintendent Janet Barresi quickly ordered a 10 minute recess and told Mr. Rozell “Your comment is inappropriate and not worthy of this board and this department.” Ms. Russell left the room in tears.

After the meeting Mr. Rozell claimed, “I didn't mean to interfere. I was just hoping we could have her in April and May, because that's when everything gets tied up.” Ms. Russell is to represent the Department of Education at the Capitol. According to the Associated Press “The Oklahoma Legislature reconvenes Feb. 7 and must end its business by May 27.” Ms. Russell was shocked by the comment and said she “felt humiliated and insulted. couldn't believe something like that would be said at a public meeting.” Mr. Rozell’s remark has caused numerous people to call for his resignation, including Senator Clark Jolley and Senator John Ford. Mr. Rozell has publicly stated that he would like to apologize to Ms. Russell in person, which she says is a “possibility.”

http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/okla-boe-member-questions-if-pregnant-owman/

[Teaser]

1. It was an assholish comment

but I don't think he should resign. I believe everyone gets one assholery mulligan at their job.

Assuming this isn't a pattern, make him apologize and make sure he keeps his trap shut for a while.

[beyurslf]

2. The problem is most people like this filter out their worst thoughts and say what they think

they can get away with. So, if this is what he thinks others will accept, what is he filtering out and not saying?

[TheMadMonk]

7. If he is in fact a "person like this". Unguarded uttering of the end result...

...of a freewheeling train of thought is NOT an uncommon faux pas.

Assuming he was playing with numbers on his "blotter", he might have found himself figuring the cost to the district, and when someone mentioned her due date he lifted his head and said: "Yes and this means...." <insert foot in mouth here>

Anyone can say stupid and insensitive things when they are distracted. Was he? I have no idea. But he could have been.

If it IS part of a pattern of behaviour then certainly more serious sanctions should be in order. If not, a public censuring and appology is appropriate and sufficient.

Listen for the diference between "I'm sorry if you found offense in my words.", and "I'm sorry if my words caused offense."

[Odin2005]

3. So you think it's OK to have female teachers suffer under this misogynist ASSHOLE?

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Pholus]

4. My grad school advisor tells a story about the birth of her child -- her esteemed colleagues wanted

to know when she'd be back to work. Would it be one day or two?

That's the America the Teabaggers want back....

[Manifestor_of_Light]

6. Most men think pregnancy and childbirth are a fucking picnic.

Just a walk in the park.
They don't realize that pregnancy and delivery can be life threatening. They are often disabling.

When I was pregnant, I had to stop working at 24 weeks. I was so big I could not sit up without the baby's pressure on my ribs killing me. So I laid around the house trying to eat and sleep and breathe. Yet my jerkwad husband said that I got big because I was "lazy and didn't exercise". He thought he was an expert on women and childbirth. I could barely walk by the time I delivered.

after delivery it took me two months before I went back to work. So I basically lost six months due to disability from pregnancy.

[rainbow4321]

9. My now ex-husband wanted me to get pregnant a 2nd time in college

We had been married a few months when I found out that I was pregnant with our first (unexpected) baby...fortunately, I made it thru the two semesters and had the baby a week after school let out. Whew, did I cut that close!

My last year in nursing school and he tried to convince me to get pregnant a second time. Never mind that I was in clinicals (aka free labor) for 24 hours a week and class time the rest of the week, getting up at 4 am to go study at Denny's, and if I was lucky, getting to spend an hour or two a day with our then-2 yr old....I had a WTF moment the night he asked me. Took me a while to get that thru his head, he pouted a while over my refusal.
But it was then that I knew he had no clue what I had gone thru or the mental and physical exhaustion I had been thru being pregnant the first time while taking classes/studying and then having a newborn when classes resumed that Fall semester. Not a damn clue.

[Igel]

8. That's a tough call.

It sounds easy: You can't discriminate.

On the other hand, if she does take off 6 weeks and the real crunch time for her job is during those 6 weeks, they really should have hired another person. Her replacement will have a hell of a time coming up to speed on representing the OK education department's needs and wants to the legislators and may not have any personal rapport with any legislators.

It's like hiring a salesperson who'll specialize in holiday catering, only to find out that she'll be off from a few days before Thanksgiving until just after New Year's. Maybe it's a good hire and maybe things will work out nicely next year. But this year, you're screwed.

Which is precisely why some accommodations are required by law and some aren't.

Still, it shouldn't have been said in public. Public is never the right place for discussing personnel.

[CreekDog]

12. You're ignorant of the law and if offered you should recuse yourself from such decisions

Title VII's pregnancy-related protections include:

* Hiring

An employer cannot refuse to hire a pregnant woman because of her pregnancy, because of a pregnancy-related condition, or because of the prejudices of co-workers, clients, or customers.

http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-preg.html

[ehrnst]

13. But anyone could have gotten ill at that time, or their spouse could die.

If that had happened, and the employee took time off, would they say that they hired the wrong person?

This woman is giving them time to deal with the issue, and find someone.

Screwing over women, and making it easier for employers to say, "if we hire a woman, she could get pregnant, and we'll be screwed" is the type of putting "bottom line" over every other consideration is part of the decay of this country.

[Foo Fighter]

10. So, what if instead of hiring a pregnant woman, they had hired a father-to-be?

Would that be any different? After all, the woman only get two weeks medical leave, same as the guy, so what's the diff?

I have never held a job where the woman gets 6 weeks medical leave after having a baby. Two weeks is the norm for the woman and for some reason, the father gets those same two weeks. Sure, those "two weeks" for the father are meant for them helping out the new mom but every single new dad I have known has used them to drop off the wife and newborn at home and immediatly leave on a two-week hunting or fishing junket. I have yet to see one single father use those two weeks as intended.

That said, I disagree the that woman should only be allowed 2 weeks off. Medical experts say it takes 6 weeks to recover from childbirth and I'd put my stock in their word over that of those that are interested solely in corporate profits any day of the week.

[Dems2002]

11. Are you serious?

Wow. I'm a woman in my 30s without kids, but ALL of my friends' husbands help with the kids. They've all taken family leave to be home with the kids, not to go out of town. I cannot imagine any of my girlfriends putting up with that crap.

[Codeine]

18. Then you don't know many fathers. nt

[cherish44]

14. What an insensitve thing to say

I'm sure that's how he feels. There are a lot of people who look at employees as pieces of meat not human beings. and the $$ bottom line is almighty to them....

[a la izquierda]

15. there's more to this story...

http://www.newsok.com/gun-threat-made-by-telephone-to-janet-barresis-office/article/3536221
apparently, the day after idiot Rozell's comments were broadcast, someone called the Superintendent's office and said the problem should be handled with a gun.

there's much turmoil regarding Ms. Barresi and her administration. She's tried to get her campaign manager a nice cushy job, despite the fact that the person in question doesn't have the qualifications to hold such a position. that's the last thing Oklahoma needs, more political cronies screwing around with education.

(note: none of this means that I support Rozell's disgusting comments. i'm just pointing out the hostility that has emerged in the last few days).

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. State school boards

This Kansan sends you sympathy. :hi:

[a la izquierda]

19. I have to say...

I'm happy I don't have kids yet. I don't have to deal with things like this on too-personal a level at the moment.

[XanaDUer]

17. That's not very fetus-friendly of him

nt.