Posted on 10/16/2003 2:21:11 PM PDT by TexasCajun
LONGVIEW - A Longview High School teacher who allegedly called a student a "monkey" says she plans to appeal the school board's move to fire her.
Geography teacher Kelley Snowden has 15 days to request a hearing before an independent examiner to fight the termination notice the board approved Monday.
Her attorney, Paul Nelson of Henderson, said Snowden's comment had nothing to do with race. He said the teacher had used the term "monkey" playfully in the past to describe her friends' children.
"This is not a racial statement. It's being taken out of context, and we don't really know why," Nelson said.
Longview Superintendent Dana Marable has said the comment "was a disparaging remark made to a student."
District officials have not provided details about how and when the remark was used and have not responded to media requests made under the Texas Public Information Act.
Nelson provided details of the incident to the Tyler Morning Telegraph for Thursday's editions.
He said Snowden made the comment while on hall duty. When a student acted like he was leaving, the teacher said 'You wicked little monkey, you come back here,'" said Nelson, quoting from a statement he said Snowden gave to district officials.
Snowden said in the statement that the student quickly returned and finished the conversation, but later told her he was upset by her comment, Nelson said. The teacher then explained to the student that "monkey" was a "term of endearment," according to the statement read by Nelson, but when the student continued to be upset, the teacher apologized and the student stomped away.
Marable, the superintendent, said the district is considering bringing back the sensitivity training that it used to offer.
"We are always striving to keep things like this from happening on a continuous basis," Marable said.
Snowden is the second Longview High School employee in two months accused of using a racial slur. Debby Deck, a white administrator, was put on paid leave for about a week before returning to Longview High School, after allegedly using the word "Sambo" during a teacher workshop. Deck later apologized.
Talk-Radio Host Suspended After Referring to Black Mayor as 'Monkey'
FoxNews ^ | 09/23/03 | Staff Writer
Posted on 09/23/2003 7:53 AM PDT by Skylight
ROCHESTER, N.Y. A radio talk-show host was suspended for two days Monday for alluding to Rochester's black mayor as a monkey.
Bob Lonsberry (search) apologized to Mayor William Johnson Jr. (search) in taped remarks at the beginning and end of his three-hour show on WHAM radio, which was handled by a stand-in host Monday.
"I would certainly apologize for any interpretation of my words which would appear to be racist," and Lonsberry, who is white. "I am not a racist. But then racism is in the eye of the beholder, not in the heart of the speaker."
Lonsberry, a Republican, has been highly critical in recent months of Johnson, a Democrat who is running for Monroe County executive the region's top political post in the November election.
Last Thursday, as monkey sounds played in the background, Lonsberry joked about "monkeys loose up at the zoo again," the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.
"That's really fine, really fine," he said. "Yeah, yeah, and he's running for county executive. What is with that?"
He made a similar reference last month after an orangutan escaped from its cage at a city zoo.
"Headline: Orangutan escapes at zoo, runs for county executive. Fascinating stuff," he said.
Johnson was elected Rochester's first black mayor in 1993. While Lonsberry did not mention Johnson by name, the mayor told the newspaper that he believes Lonsberry "should know better."
Steve Minarik, the county Republican Party chairman, said Lonsberry's commentary was "beneath the standards of public discourse" and questioned whether the suspension was severe enough.
The station did not say whether Lonsberry will be paid during the suspension or when he will return.
Last year, Mayor Johnson was also the target of remarks by the current Republican county executive, Jack Doyle (search), deemed racially insensitive by political rivals. Johnson announced his candidacy after Doyle said he would not seek re-election this year. Doyle, who is white, has said the controversy had no bearing on his decision.
Now you are with the program. Sheep who talk back aren't easily herded.
Exactly! My parents, Aunts & Uncles always called us kids a bunch of wild monkeys.
I believe you've hit on something there her attorney should consider. Of course the stomping off upset student will just file in the "wicked" comment. I do hope this teacher is well liked by the other students because they could sure make that kid's life miserable. That wasn't a racial remark and there's no call for any extra sensitivity training! Ignorant principal, school board, and kid's attorney. We're raising a generation of whinies.
Didn't Cary Grant call Joan Fontaine "Monkey Face" in a Hitchcock thriller?( I forget the title of the film). It was said as a term of endearment.
Also, my high school and elementary teachers always called the girls chewing gum in class "cows". None of us ever sued and our feelings weren't hurt.
monkey" was a "term of endearment,"
Apparently "Dawg" is the only acceptable term of endearment in public school...whereas, in my homeschool, I can say, "Hey, Monkey Boy! Take out the trash!" and he does...
She was the superintendent of the school district where the 4th graders were caught performing oral sex on each other in class. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/653878/posts
Especially if it was an old white democrat with the initials, Robert KKK Byrd!
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