Posted on 08/11/2015 12:49:02 PM PDT by Faith Presses On
UPDATE: Carol Burton, the popular Garfield High School choir teacher who admitted to drinking alcohol on a school field trip, has been fired, according to Seattle Public Schools. In a Friday night news release, the district said it had found "that probable cause existed to terminate" Burton's employment.
SEATTLE - A popular Seattle choir teacher - who admits to drinking during a school trip - believes that she's going to be fired.
"I had 2½ alcoholic beverages on this trip and they are, without a doubt, the most expensive drinks I've ever had in my life. They are costing my entire career. And for some reason those two drinks seem to be more important than 14 years of service," says the teacher, Carol Burton.
The Seattle School District says Burton violated several serious rules - including drinking in front of students - during a school-sponsored trip to learn about jazz in New Orleans with 39 Garfield High School students.
(snip)
An investigator hired by the school district in his report said Burton admitted she violated school policy when she and some other chaperones drank alcohol during the field trip. She also has admitted that she ignored district rules by allowing boys and girls to be in each others hotel rooms prior to their curfew...Students and parents have rallied behind Burton - they think she's she's being made a scapegoat.
(Excerpt) Read more at komonews.com ...
Also this from June:
Students reported they saw their teacher Carol Burton, who was in charge of the trip, and chaperones drinking alcohol while on their bus, and at night on other occasions. In one instance, a chaperone was so drunk they had to be helped back to their room, and a chaperone was "alleged to have engaged in inappropriate contact with a student," while drinking, a school district spokesperson said. It's unclear how many chaperones were involved.
In addition, a report surfaced that a male student groped two female students at night in a New Orleans hotel room.
Officials said staff and volunteers on the trip signed a contract that they would refrain from drinking alcohol and that boys and girls are prohibited from being in each other's hotel rooms.
"When adults decide to deliberately violate these policies, procedures, and protocols, they are putting their needs above those of our students," said district spokeswoman Stacey Howard.
However, current students were joined by former students and parents in a walkout of classes Wednesday to protest Burton's suspension, saying she's being made a scapegoat.
"When the rule that's broken has nothing to do with the incident that happened, it's really just over the top," said parent Jull MacCorkle.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Drinking-groping-allegations-follow-Garfield-HS-field-trip-to-New-Orleans-306811981.html
At first I was thinking about myself having like a single beer on a camping trip or something, which is nothing. But getting so drunk you can’t stand and trying to molest a student? Okay, fire her.
What a dumbass. After all the crap that happens in schools today. And lady it’s a field trip not a day off. Do you drink any other day at work?
Once again, the parents rally behind the misbehaving teacher. I am betting these “parents” are single-mom and dad’s-girlfriend types who would have gladly tossed back a drink and latched onto some of the kids themselves if they could have chaperoned.
Well, of course she's popular. Pounding down a few in front of high-schoolers is bound to earn a lot of "cool" points.
Garfield High?! Why is a Seattle school still burdened with the name of an old dead white guy?
“popular” = letting it be known to the high school boys that she’s available to them.
It’s the liberal mecca of Seattle. I don’t see a problem.
I’d rather them fire someone for drinking Starbucks and actually going to New Orleans.
It does seem to be the case that whenever you hear of a teacher sexually exploiting a student, they are almost always described as having been a “very popular” teacher.
When I use to live in Seattle Garfield was inner city and full of Amish students.
The guy lectured and made it so interesting even the idiots payed attention. Not all alchohol consumption is bad!
“And for some reason those two drinks seem to be more important than 14 years of service,” says the teacher, Carol Burton.”
If I have a spotless driving record for 14 years, and then am pulled over for DUI after having a couple of drinks, should I expect a pass because of my exemplary past behavior?
Some things you just don’t get to do while on duty. And supervising a field trip is “on duty.” The consequences may seem harsh compared to the offense, but life can be like that sometimes. Which is why the little voice in your head should have been telling you (in Chris Rock’s voice) “Man, I wouldn’t do that if I were you!”
“But getting so drunk you can’t stand and trying to molest a student?”
Sounds to me like they were just trying to give the students the entire sense of a Jazz Festival in New Orleans.
Me and some buddies joined the H.S. debate club for the short trips. I recall one night in Duluth we were trying to sleep and the teacher (American History) had “Tora Tora Tora” cranked up so loud. I went over to his room and asked him to turn it down. He was pretty snockered. He later was out for several months to get sober. Great teacher. He did come back too.
Heh - see my post 14. I don’t recall the thermos, but he sure did make history interesting. He would have all of the blackboards on two walls of the class full of tiny little notes. He would get to talking and would get through perhaps 2 or 3 of his line items each day.
“Now the czars were nuts - too much inbreeding. Catharine the Great died when the ropes broke as they tried to lower a horse on to her in bed.”
She wasn’t the one who was trying to molest a student, but she was in charge of the trip. Even if she didn’t have a drink, the other offenses were much more serious than 2 1/2 drinks (if that’s accurate, which I doubt). She should have confronted the chaperones who were drinking and coordinated with leadership to take action - send additional chaperones, end the trip and go home...there were options.
When you are in charge, failing to correct bad behavior equals condoning it.
Garfield High?! Why is a Seattle school still burdened with the name of an old dead white guy?
You mean it’s not named after an overweight, lasagna loving cat?
That description reminds me of my 12 grade physics and homeroom teacher. He was a pilot in WWII, and suffered from some hearing loss. During homeroom period, which was usually a noisy, chaotic social gathering, he would unplug his hearing aid and sip from his thermos. We always wondered what he was drinking, and suspected he spiked his coffee with alcohol of some sort. Excellent teacher, though, and supplemented his teacher salary with the income from a string of laundromats.
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