Posted on 10/02/2001 1:12:57 PM PDT by litany_of_lies
Florosa Elementary School teacher Cheryl Mulhearn plans to fight for her job, denying charges that she said she wished the president had been killed in terrorist attacks or that she visited pornographic sites with a school computer. "I deal with school boards all around the state, and I can tell you there's a real rush to judgement here," said Mulhearn's attorney, Tom Brooks. "It's disturbing. I think they are after her." Mulhearn became the target of angry phone calls over the weekend, when news of the charges was released, Brooks said. School officials released information about a letter of reprimand against Mulhearn Friday, after a 10-day waiting period allowing the cited teacher to respond. In the letter, Florosa Principal Max Gertsman said the fifth-grade teacher told her students "something to the effect that she wished one of the jets was running into the White House, and she hopes that George was in there when it hit." As reports of these comments were made public, Superintendent of Schools Don Gaetz also detailed the reason for Mulhearn's suspension by the school board that same week: charges that she had misused the district computer system to visit pornographic Web sites. Investigation documentation didn't release the names of those who had complained about the remarks, one of the key issues on which union officials and Mulhearn's attorney plan to base a grievance case. "The complaints are not anonymous," said Okaloosa County Superintendent of Schools Don Gaetz. "We have not released the names of students, but these are real people with real complaints. I am disappointed with the union's decision to defend the highly questionable behavior of this employee. This should be an opportunity for the union and School Board to work together to improve the teaching profession." In looking at district printouts of computer activity, Brooks said his office could only pinpoint one site that might be deemed inappropriate: www.rotten.com. That Web site includes sexual content and graphic violent images including autopsy photographs, but Mulhearn's attorney points out that records show that site had been viewed for only seconds. "In May, along with six or seven other sites in the same minute, this site was apparently clicked on and back off again," Brooks said. This documentation was derived from Mulhearn's laptop computer, which was provided through the district's "Computers for Teachers" program. Gaetz said the evidence shows numerous incidents, more than just a brief, one-time stop at a site of questionable taste. "The evidence will show a pattern, over months and months, of questionable involvement on the Internet," the superintendent added. Mulhearn's future with the district may be decided at the board's Oct. 8 School Board meeting in Fort Walton Beach.
Geez, it appears that visiting porn sites is a worse offense that telling a bunch of kids you wished their president had died a violent death.
It also looks like the union is more concerned about defending the indefensible than what kind of creeps are teaching kids--what a surprise.
Drudge appears to be about to link to something related to this matter, but hasn't yet:
Florida Teacher denies telling class of death wish for Bush.
Yeah, right.
Walking around with the blinders on?
Yes and no. No, I realize that many unions will defend the indefensible. Yes, I thought that they would back off when the issues are porn and presidential death wishes. After all, even the UAW won't defend a member caught stealing from one of the Big Three automakers.
If she's using her own laptop and her own phone connection, she can visit any place her dirty little heart desires.
If she's using the school district's laptop through the school's network, she is tying up bandwidth (lots of pictures, potentially slowing down everyone else's access) and exposing the district to sexual harassment and child-endangerment charges (if any kid walks up and looks while she's "enjoying" her visits.
Even if you think the harassment is a PC invention, the child endangerment isn't.
Is that enough? Even all of that isn't nearly as offensive as telling kids that you wish the president had died.
Just to make sure I'm clear, either of the things she is charged with are in my opinion justifications for dismissal. Both of them together makes it a slam dunk.
I've seen rotten.com, and I think I would be less disturbed at the idea of her visiting a "regular" porn site than that.
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