Posted on 06/23/2009 9:53:41 AM PDT by jessduntno
A Kansas teacher says he was wrongfully terminated for his conservative views.
Tim Latham has been teaching history and U.S. Government for over 19 years. But after teaching for just one year in the Lawrence School District in Lawrence, Kansas, Latham says his contract was not renewed because school officials did not like his conservative views -- particularly a teacher website that Latham hosted and paid for himself. A teacher coach confronted him on that issue.
"She had concerns about it. I've never had a complaint about it -- nothing but compliments. Parents love it because of their access to assignments, grades, etc. And she wanted a lot of the stuff that was on it removed. And when I asked why, I was told because it was too patriotic."
Latham had an introductory video on the site where he stated that he wanted students to truly love the American way of life, and he says he was told to remove that as well because not everybody loves the American way of life. According to Latham, other complaints included that he was picking on Obama too much. When he asked for an explanation as to why his contract was not renewed he was told, "You refuse to conform" and "you just don't fit in."
"Those are word-for-word quotes given to me by the director of human resources, who says he is quoting what the administration told him -- I refuse to conform and I just don't fit in," Latham notes.
He has since filed a grievance and is considering litigation if he does not get a satisfactory response.
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Your Lawrence Board of Education
Craig Grant President 2505 Stowe Drive Lawrence, KS 66049 842-8298
Scott Morgan Vice President 1618 Inverness Drive Lawrence, KS 66047 842-6268
Mary Loveland 747 N 1500 Road Lawrence, KS 66049 842-9333
Marlene Merrill 2917 Westdale Road Lawrence, KS 66049 832-2203
Rich Minder 1218 Delaware #3 Lawrence, KS 66044 760-3791
John Mitchell 1012 Wagon Wheel Rd. Lawrence, KS 66049 843-2954
Linda Robinson 4210 Nicklaus Drive Lawrence, KS 66047 865-3738
Caleb Stegall issued the following statement today on behalf of his client, Tim Latham, in the wake of this afternoon’s decision by Superintendent Weseman that:
“Having considered all information submitted … I find that there were inconsistencies in the evaluation process. Because of my commitment to the highest standards, I conclude that Mr. Latham’s teaching contract with the District should, and will be continued for 2009-2010.”
With this ruling, Mr. Latham has been fully vindicated and, I am pleased to announce, will be returning to his old teaching post at Lawrence High School next year. This represents a tremendous victory for free speech, for the open and robust exchange of ideas, and for the American form of self-government. Mr. Latham’s victory demonstrates that where there is government abuse, ordinary citizens in America still have recourse to civic engagement and the mechanisms of self-government to correct those abuses. Today is a day the Lawrence community ought to take great pride in, and the bulk of the credit goes to Mr. Latham’s students who-contrary to the common characterizations of today’s youth as cynical and apathetic-took it upon themselves to engage the process and fight for what they valued.
Mr. Latham said of the ruling: “I couldn’t be more pleased with this outcome. While I am happy to have this behind me, and look forward to returning to LHS next fall, I will always be grateful to my students for actually putting what I teach into practice.”
Scratch the surface and there will be a dyke responsible.
My first instinct is to instantly take Mr. Latham’s side in this, but the voice of reason suggests that I might want to actually look at the website in question first. Is it still available? Google didn’t find it.
Only Marxists need apply.
That pretty much clears it up then. If there were valid reasons, the contract wouldn’t have been renewed.
Now, when exactly did it become wrong to love the American way of life, in America? When did that become offensive to anyone?
I wonder if the teacher got stuck with a big bill for having to have a lawyer.
Shot and a Goal.....Good Call!
Well, if not everyone loves the American way of life, isn't that just too bad. If pointedly not loving the American way of life is acceptable on the faculty of the Lawrence, Kansas public school system, but proudly loving the American way of life is not, I think the time is over-ripe for patriotic Lawrence community members to start voting down school levies and consider closing down a polluted school system. Better going back to home schooling than continuing this absurdity. [If you look at the level of public, political discourse, back in pre-1850 America, before many communities even had organized public school systems, you will see that which will amaze you--and not tend to make you more tolerant of those mis-running the Lawrence school system.]
Lawrence is the site of the University of Kansas and is a very liberal town. I’m sure many parents went nuts that he would teach kids to be proud of their country.
A Marxist dyke atheist.
Have you noticed that the homos seem to be moving in proportions that far outweigh their prevalence in the general population?
You’re a little behind the curve:
READ #2. This is about the outrage of the refutation of the American Way of Life, not the job loss.
Sorry. I posted before going through the replies.
Sorry. I posted before going through the replies.”
No problem...I couldn’t figure out how to get it all into one post without causing eye damage...
Think Sodom & Gamorrah
How liberals keep normal people out of teaching jobs.
Try to keep up. The guy was on a morning show yesterday saying how his contract WAS renewed for another year.
So much for tolerance and living with people who are different from you, eh hypocrite liberal school district?
Ditto goes for you, read post #2
Covered from post #2 on...try to keep up...
FR rule #1 should be: Read all posts before posting.
“FR rule #1 should be: Read all posts before posting.”
It is a little bit like cutting someone off in mid sentence and being rude...”try to keep up” sounds like the good folks on the school committee we were talking about...why the snarkiness when there is some sort of explanation (and I even apologized for not being able to fit it in) among supposed comrades? I duntno...I jess duntno...
"Try to keep up" is a snarky comeback that is just not needed.
Conservatives need to be listed as one of the groups protected by hate crime laws.
I have made the mistake of posting before reading all the posts.
"Try to keep up" is a snarky comeback that is just not needed.
True. But considering that Hacklehead's #20 used precisely that comeback to jessduntno's #1, I would hope that Hacklehead recognizes how ill-situated he is to take offense.
Although I read your subsequent post, I still question the logic of this statement.
"Reason", properly applied based on the history of the government education system of the past three decades, makes it a virtual certainty of the circumstances surrounding this man's dismissal.
In fact, IMHO, even your "first instinct" should have been to "reason" that it was almost certainly true.
This particular event is just one small example of similar happenings around the country in government education systems that happen every day.
>>>I wonder if the teacher got stuck with a big bill for having to have a lawyer.
If he is a member of a teacher’s union - they should have provided one for him... and if they did, this outcome is most excellent. :)
I take very little on faith. I'm a firm believer in "trust but verify."
Interesting point—I hadn’t thought of that.
“True. But considering that Hacklehead’s #20 used precisely that comeback to jessduntno’s #1, I would hope that Hacklehead recognizes how ill-situated he is to take offense.”
Wow, so many responses about my “snarky” comment. First of all, it was pretty low on the snarkyness scale for FR, commonplace actually. Second, I didnt and wouldnt have taken offense when it was directed back at me. I will say however that in the many years I have been here (many more than indicated by my most recent screen name) I have never seen someone post an outdated message then follow it up 2 messages later with post that makes post #1 essentially obsolete. Why post the original if you are going to post he got his contract renewed 2 posts later? Add to that all the responses seemed to be unaware of the new developments. So excuse me if I missed post 3. As far as reading all posts before posting, its a best practice but not a realistic expectation. Like trying to get everyone to read the article before posting, good luck with that.
Sorry for the double post, but I inadvertantly left you off the response.
“True. But considering that Hacklehead’s #20 used precisely that comeback to jessduntno’s #1, I would hope that Hacklehead recognizes how ill-situated he is to take offense.”
Wow, so many responses about my “snarky” comment. First of all, it was pretty low on the snarkyness scale for FR, commonplace actually. Second, I didnt and wouldnt have taken offense when it was directed back at me. I will say however that in the many years I have been here (many more than indicated by my most recent screen name) I have never seen someone post an outdated message then follow it up 2 messages later with post that makes post #1 essentially obsolete. Why post the original if you are going to post he got his contract renewed 2 posts later? Add to that all the responses seemed to be unaware of the new developments. So excuse me if I missed post 3. As far as reading all posts before posting, its a best practice but not a realistic expectation. Like trying to get everyone to read the article before posting, good luck with that.
“I have never seen someone post an outdated message then follow it up 2 messages later with post that makes post #1 essentially obsolete.”
You still haven’t seen that - I posted them consecutively - I have no idea what the #1 and #3 nonsense you are writing is about - and they did not make anything obsolete, they were a continuation of the story. I don’t know what you are talking about here, but if you don’t think an apology is in order, I really don’t care. You got this one wrong again; let it go.
it was pretty low on the snarkyness scale for FR, commonplace actually. Second, I didnt and wouldnt have taken offense when it was directed back at me.“True. [that "Try to keep up" is a snarky comeback that is not needed].But considering that Hacklehead’s #20 used precisely that comeback to jessduntno’s #1, I would hope that Hacklehead recognizes how ill-situated he is to take offense.”
. . . so there's no problem or disagreement on that point.I will say however that in the many years I have been here (many more than indicated by my most recent screen name) I have never seen someone post an outdated message then follow it up 2 messages later with post that makes post #1 essentially obsolete. Why post the original if you are going to post he got his contract renewed 2 posts later? Add to that all the responses seemed to be unaware of the new developments. So excuse me if I missed post 3.
I have to admit that you certainly have a point there. It was confusing. And required a closer reading than you can expect FReepers to always give, as you note.
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