Posted on 08/22/2005 7:53:02 PM PDT by bayourod
ORLANDO, Fla. -- An Orange County elementary school teacher accused of writing a letter critical of Hispanics could be dismissed from her job during a School Board hearing scheduled for this week.
Orange County elementary school teacher Jan Hall.
A handwritten letter allegedly written by Sadler Elementary School teacher Jan Hall was addressed to a congressman and published in a local Spanish newspaper.
The letter said Hispanics are causing American students to fall behind in school and asked for laws to be changed to prevent Puerto Ricans from coming to Orlando because they are "destroying the city every day," Local 6 News reported.
"Schools are dealing with too many problems which originate in the language differences and that takes teaching time away from our American children whose parents do pay taxes," the letter said.
Many considered the letter racist. However, there are also others who supported the letter and Hall's right to free speech, Local 6 News reported.
"The issue has divided the community, so Hispanic leaders are calling for a conference Monday," Local 6 News reporter Jessica Sanchez reported. "They will be calling for a reconciliation plan for the community."
Tuesday, Orange County school board members will discuss the letter and vote on whether to suspend her without pay or fire her.
Hall was told to be in attendance to defend herself, Local 6 News has learned.
Earlier this week, the Orange County School Board took action Wednesday after reading the letter.
"She has been removed from Sadler Elementary and will not be returning to Sadler Elementary regardless of the outcome of the investigation," Orange County Schools spokesman Frank Kruppenbacher said.
Local 6 News has learned that attorneys are looking into numerous comments in the letter.
"Puerto Rican teachers who work at my school are constantly asking me for help with math because they only received the equivalent of a fifth-grade education in Puerto Rico," the letter said.
Hall confessed to the school's principal last week that she wrote a letter but said she forgot who she wrote it to, Local 6 News reported.
Hall remains on unpaid suspension from the school.
Welcome to the Brave New Liberal World. Everything is permitted, but nothing is allowed.
ping....guess who
THE WIT AND WISDOM OF BAYOUROD, PART 367,279!
In today's episode, another poster comments on rod's disingenuous claims of compassions towards Mexican nationals. Here's what he has to say about that. Let's listen it, shall we?
As I've posted before, I have no affinity for Mexicans or Americans of Hispanic descent.
To recognize that foreign laborers are essential right now to sustaining our economy does not mean that I am particularly fond of Hispanics.
I don't speak Spanish, have Hispanic relatives, work with Hispanic or have any close Hispanic friends.
To recognize that fences cannot stop men willing to risk their lives to feed their families does not mean that I like those men. It just means that I understand the nature of the problem.
If I had my personal preference, instead of Mexican laborers, we would have Western European laborers with blond hair and blue eyes pouring across our borders bringing their beautiful daughters. But that isn't reality. Neither is "sealing the border".
To recognize that Republicans must not unnecessarily alienate Hispanic voters with gratuitous insults if we hope to keep Hillary out of the White House is not the same as saying that I want to invite them to live in my house.
However all my relations with Hispanics have been good. Can't say that about Nigerians and half a dozen other types.
that's racism if i've ever seen it...
In any case, Puerto Ricans are American citizens. They are irrelevant to the debate over illegal immigration.
Yup. Seriously, that post of his really is The GIft That Keeps On Giving!
Can't wait until he finally divulges who the "half a dozen othet types" are...
The woman wrote her congressman...and it wound up in the local Spanish newspaper?
What the hell? Who the hell is the congressman who sent off a letter from one of his constituents to the newspapers?
I say we force Puerto Rico to either dump or get off the pot. If they want to be American citizens, then let their nation become the 51st state. Otherwise, to hell with 'em; they're on their own.
So much for the Liberal claim to "tolerate" differing views. They've already made up their mind that this teacher is unfit because she doesn't buy into the Leftist claptrap.
The Orange County school district obtained the inflammatory letter Thursday that led to the abrupt suspension without pay of a fifth-grade teacher accused of disparaging Hispanics, Haitians and other immigrants.
Earlier in the day, district officials met with the teacher, Jan P. Hall, and a representative of the teachers union. School-district attorney Frank Kruppenbacher said officials would not release the handwritten, signed letter to the public, pending an investigation. Officials plan to meet with Hall again next week.
snip
David DeMond, president of the Classroom Teachers Association, criticized the district for punishing a teacher and condemning her publicly without sorting out the facts first, particularly since freedom-of-speech issues are at stake. School officials seemed to be focusing more on the scandal generated by the publication of the letter than on seeking the facts, he said.
"This was another rush to judgment on the part of the district," DeMond said. "When they are cast in a bad light, they react strongly, and it is our contention that due process hasn't been given in this case."
Schools Superintendent Ron Blocker maintained Thursday that even before the letter was obtained he had enough evidence to suspend Hall, who has taught at Sadler Elementary School for five years.
"I don't have much to say about it, other than it's under my authority to do that, and the teacher admitted to writing a letter," said Blocker, adding that he will seek the School Board's approval of the suspension Tuesday. "I don't think I acted prematurely."
Even as officials met with Hall, 59, they scrambled to find the original letter. All they had was a published translation in Spanish.
snip
In the letter, the writer -- identified as a Sadler teacher -- complained about Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Haitians, Middle Easterners and foreigners in general.
"Please, do not allow these criminals to stay in this country and take all the jobs in Florida," concluded the letter, according to a version translated back into English and released by the school district Thursday.
The letter also accused Puerto Rican teachers who earned their teaching degrees on the island as having received "the equivalent of a fifth-grade education in the United States.
snip
Gustavo Alvarado, a Mexican immigrant whose three daughters attend Sadler, said the district should make an example of this teacher.
"Our children have to be protected," said Alvarado, 37. "If we came to this country, we did it to work and so that our children would have better opportunities."
i was replying to post #4 not this article
IOW, she's GUILTY...whether we find her guilty of wrongdoing or not.
Meanwhile, how many of those condemning her have to know that all she was doing was expressing what anyone with a lick of sense can easily see to be the truth.
We don't need no stinkin' fair congressman!
Oops. Sorry. But come on- this woman is ignorant. Don't Peurto Ricans pay taxes too.
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