msmagoo,
Thank you again. That is outrageous stuff about
George J. Felos, Esq. What Satanic enclave did this
slithering shadow escape from, I wonder. It almost
seems that all the demons from the dark nether regions
are congregating in Pinellas County. I am going to
post some material from an exchange I am having with
a disabled female teacher in Pinellas County who is
going to be fired F I R E D! for having spoken up
about Terri (off school ground and on her own time).
I promised her that I would post her story everywhere
and that action will be taken. Please, anyone who
still has time for anything, contact Rus and/or
use the contact addresses she gave to demand an
explanation for why they are doing this to her.
I am pasting all the exchanges thus far. I only
learned about it last night. Karen was the original
person Rus contacted. Here goes:
I am going to repeat Rus' original letter here, so
that it can easily be read together with the
follow ups below.
There is a disabled teacher who is going to be FIRED for
showing an interest in Terri's situation. Looks like even
the Pinellas County Schoolboard is in with the Dead New
World gang.
In a message dated 12/3/2003 5:31:42 PM Pacific Standard
Time, UUDRE writes:
I am a Pinellas County, Florida exceptional education
teacher with disabilities. I teach middle school students
with learning, emotional and behavioral disabilities.
I am in my 26th year as a teacher.
On the day Terri Schindler-Schiavo's feeding tube was
removed this fall, I did a brief interview about the
disabled community's take on her possible death for
being cognitively-impaired.
It was very brief and done off school grounds on my own
time. The reporter agreed not to mention in any way that
I taught.
I said basically that as a Florida woman with disabilities
Terri's starving was very scary.
The next day administration who had never talked to me
before made it clear that I no longer fit in.
Then the book I wrote "When I Woke Up..." which included
my own Terri-like time in the 1980s, my coverage of her
October 2002 hearing and a meditation I delivered as
minister at a Terri vigil hit my school campus.
After that I couldn't get the most accepted basic support
like needed room supplies, memos about meetings, campus
police help when any of my kids needed to be removed for
violence or assistance for students hurting themselves
regularly.
Finally, I was given less than a day to hand deliver
a resignation for personal reasons or be fired for "not
fitting in." At the time I was home recovering from a
student attack that could have been prevented if I had
only the support other teachers had.
I physically could not get the letter in. I would not
have resigned anyway.
How can a 26 year veteran teacher with disabilities
"not fit in" with students who have disabilities?
In an effort to force me to resign I was threatened with
being fired on tv over and over through December and into
January. The administrator was threatening me with firing
at the televised school board meeting that is rerun until
the next meeting.
As a result --
on December 9th at 5 pm only 20 minutes from The hospice
where Terri remains in danger, I am being fired for "not
fitting in."
And indeed, I will be fired many, many times in reruns in
between hours of new and old holiday student performances.
My contract specifically prohibits being fired for the
reasons I am being fired.
So, there you go.
Rus Cooper-Dowda
uudre@aol.com My first response to her follows below this intro.
I emailed this poor disabled teacher, offering my
(and our help). She then emailed me back (see
below my letter). In that one, she gives all the
necessary dates and contact information. Please
read her original story in the post above, and all
the other material and take action. The people
in Pinellas County that are doing such things
must be taken to task. We must demand and
explanation for injustices like that.
Finally, all the way at the bottom is my latest
response to her.
to:
Rus Cooper-Dowda
Hello Rus,
I read about your being fired on a Terri support group list to which I
belong. Your story is very touching and I have posted it on another
forum. I think that the action against you is outrageous!!
The school administration must be out of its mind, firing you for
something as vague as "not fitting in". I suggest that you get in
touch immediately with the Teachers Union, the Employment Bureau,
the State Education Department, the local School Board, the TV station
that did your original interview, all local newspapers and the local
chapters of whatever disability groups there are in your area. If
you have any church contacts, inform them also.
You need to demand a letter from the school administration
stating that you are being asked to resign or that you will be fired
and for what reason. If they refuse to give you such a letter, then
communicate this to all the organizations I mentioned above. You
strike me as a kind and gentle person who can be easily intimidated
by the kind of sharks that apparently run your school. Believe me,
these people are not immune. They will throw their weight around
as long as they think that you will take it sitting down. There are
many things you can do now to drum up support. Ask all your
friends and family to help you. Contact an employment lawyer
in your area and inquire what your options are in case that you
do get fired. If you can prove that the school's action is related
to your off-school interview, you may well have a lawsuit against
the school and recover pecuniary damages.
If you provide me with email and/or postal address and name and
phone/fax of the school administration, I am willing to ask all my
forum friends to contact them for an explanation about the school's
action. I think, however that local support will be more effective,
at least at first.
I am looking forward to hearing from you and I keep you in my
prayers.
Warmly,
John Peter
Here is her second email:
UUDRE@aol.com wrote:
Thank you for your letter.
Your support mean much in a difficult time.
Rus
Here is the contact information:
Public School Teacher Fired on TV for Supporting Terri --
Who?
Rus Cooper-Dowda
exceptional education teacher
When?
December 9th at 5 PM
Where?
Pinellas County, Florida School Board meeting
The School sysytem where Terri is struggling to live
Open to Public
Anyone can speak for 3 minutes by signing a speaker's slip by 4:45 pm.
Signs without sticks are permitted.
Address:
Pinellas County School Administration Building
Conference Hall
301 4th Street SW
Largo, Florida 33770
Televised live with reruns on WPDS
GTE Americast channel 14
Time Warner Channel 14
If you want to protest:
Board@pcsb.org 727-586-1818
Pinellas County School Board
301 4th St. SW
Largo, FL 33770
Members of the Pinellas County School Board:
Dr. J. Howard Hinesley
Superintendent
Jane Gallucci
Chair
Carol Cook
Vice-Chair
Board Member most likey to be unhappy about this:
Linda Lerner
Rest of Board:
Mary Russell Nancy Bostock Mary Brown Lee Benjamin
This is my most recent response to her:
Dear Rus,
I feel honored being able to support you. Your letter
will circulate on our list here which consists of people
with heart who are very active in fighting for justice on
Terri's behalf. I will also post this and everything else
you send on several forums where many people will see it.
Of course I myself will begin to contact the addresses you
provided and demand being informed about the rationale
behind their inexplicable behavior.
Keep the faith Rus. What is happening to you should never
be allowed to happen. But we all know that injustice and
unkindness are commonplace things on this troubled planet.
Terri's family has been fighting for justice for over a
decade. It may not seem that they have succeeded, but
look at what has been happening.
First, the dark interests were so far unable to kill Terri.
In the meantime, from her little room in that hospice, and
without speaking a word, Terri has set the hearts of tens
of thousands of people on fire. I say tens of thousands,
because that is how many I am aware of. It could quite
possibly be many many times more than that.
Put yourself in the Light, dear Rus. All of us will keep
thinking of you as being surrounded by that strong,
protective and healing Light.
Please keep us posted about everything.
I know that you are overwhelmed with your own
difficulties. If, however, there is a time when you can
think of other things, our groups would be deeply
appreciate having a contact in Pinellas County.
I cannot think of anything specific right now, but
I am sure that Terri's cause could use someone
like you who is so close to where everything is
happening.
Warmly,
John Peter (a.k.a. terrasol)
Yeah and kudos to the letter writers! If they are published perhaps we can be the voice of change. It is criminal that Terri should not have received the treatment and therapy for which she was awarded funds!
Prayers to Russ. You think it was your involvement with the terrisfight that lead to your dismissal?
Here are more Judge Lerner's...
Judge Benjamin
Lerner 1220 Criminal Justice Center 1301 Filbert Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
..........This one makes me suspect Lerner is related to Michael Schiavo, who was also from Philly
....and in nearby New Jersey (right across the river from Philly)
It is ORDERED that, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 43:6A-13, Superior Court Judge Lawrence Lerner, retired on pension, and having given his consent, is hereby continued on recall by the Supreme Court, for temporary service within the judicial system, other than Supreme Court, for one year, effective July 15, 2002, or until further Order;
....and in Florida...
Administrative Law Judge Stuart Lerner
Unbelievable! I posted an article written by Rus and had no idea she was a special ed teacher. She is entitled to support whatever groups or interests she believes in, in her free time, as long as they do not break the law. I am shocked at her illegal dismissal from the school where she teaches. Her activities in no way conflict with her job. In fact, by speaking out for the rights of disabled persons, she is exercising her First Amendment rights. How revolting that in Pinellas County her free speech is considered a crime for which she should be terminated. I think she can sue her employer for wrongful termination and any damages resulting from their negligent behavior by ignoring her requests for assistance in the course of doing her job. What the School Board did is wrong.
God bless you for all you're doing to help Terri and the disabled teacher who got in trouble for helping Terri. What a screwed up world in which we live! Thanks again.