Posted on 05/08/2002 1:11:25 PM PDT by NativeNewYorker
KIRTLAND, Ohio -- What if a class assignment forced you to choose between getting a passing grade or following your moral values?
NewsChannel5's Kareen Wynter reported that one student decided to fight it, but it almost cost him the school year.
Many students dream of graduating school with high honors, but this student said that he has little to look forward to in his final weeks.
"It's a moral issue I have," he said. "I pay tuition to come to this school. I shouldn't have to defend my moral issues."
A class project in criminal justice turned sour for the college senior, who we'll call Ian.
The assignment was to wear a pink triangle around school for the day as a symbol of gay rights and then write about the experience. Ian confronted his teacher.
"I asked 'What if a student were to feel uncomfortable with this -- would there be an alternate assignment?'" he said. "She said no."
He, in turn, got an F and faced expulsion.
So why wasn't the student offered a backup assignment? Lakeland administrators said that it is part of classroom policy.
"I think if the situation were easy, it wouldn't have been part of the curriculum," said Barbara Grano of Lakeland.
Still, faculty members said that they didn't break the rules.
"Absolutely, this student had an option," she said.
When NewsChannel5 spoke with Ian later in the day, his teacher had given him an apology note that read, in part, that the requirement was waived.
Ian said that he doesn't think things would have been resolved had NewsChannel5 not gotten involved.
"I appreciate everything you've done," he said.
His mother was happy, too.
"I was thrilled," she said. "Here's a young man who stood up for himself, and it worked."
Professors at Lakeland said that there's a list of things you can and can't challenge in the school's handbook.
They should return his money!
And he should sue them for every last dime they have, the college, the teacher, and the administrators. He was discriminated against, made to suffer terrible humiliation, had his reputation destroyed and his values insulted.
I am certain he will never be able to forget this scar upon his psyche.
Make the SAD sympathizers bleed cash until they have to leave the country
God Save America (Please)
Model Hatch Amendment Letter
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For this reason society requires that the education of youth should be watched with the most scrupulous attention. Education is a great measurer, forms the moral character of men and morals are the basis of government. Noah Webster, 1758-1843
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Dear Sir:
I am the parent of _____ who attends ______ school. Under U. S. legislation and court decision, parents have the primary responsibility for their children’s education, and pupils have certain rights which the schools may not deny. Parents have the right to be assured that their children’s beliefs and moral values are not undermined by the schools. Pupils have the right to hold their values and moral standards without direct or indirect manipulation by the schools through curricula, textbooks, av material or supplementary assignments. Under the Hatch Amendment, I hearby request that my child not be involved in any school activity or material listed below unless I have first reviewed all the relevant material and given my written consent for their use.
1. Psychological and psychiatric treatment that is designed to affect behavioral, emotional or attitudinal characteristics of an individual or designed to elicit information about attitudes, habits, traits, opinions, beliefs, or feelings of an individual or group.
2. Values clarification, use of moral dilemmas, discussion of religious or moral standards, role playing, open ended discussions of situations involving moral issues, survival games including life/death decision exercises, contrived incidents for self-revelation, sensitivity training, group encounter sessions, talk-ins, magic circle techniques, self-evaluation, auto-criticism, strategies designed for self-disclosure including the keeping of a diary, journal or log book, sociograms, sociodramas, psychodramas, blindfolded walks, isolation techniques, death education including abortion, euthanasia, suicide, use of violence, discussions of death and dying, curricula pertaining to drugs and alcohol, nuclear war, nuclear policy, nuclear classroom games, globalism, one world government, anti-nationalistic curricula, discussion and testing on interpersonal relationship, discussions of attitudes towards parents and parenting, education in human sexuality including pre-marital sex.
The purpose of this letter is preserve my child’s rights under the pupil’s rights amendment, the Hatch Amendment to the General Education Act, and under its regulation, as published in the Federal Register on September 6, 1984, which became effective November 12, 1984. These regulations provide a procedure for filing complaints first at the local level, and then with the U. S. Department of Education. If a voluntary remedy fails, federal funds can be withdrawn from those in violation of the law. I respectfully ask you to send me a substantive response to this letter, attaching a copy of your policy statement on procedures for parental permission requirements to notify all my child’s teachers and to keep a copy of this letter in my child’s file. Thank you for your cooperation.
You should make a copy for yourself, the school principal, and the school system's superintendent. And if you don't feel the principal will 'do his job' and notify all your kids' teachers, print off copies for them ALSO.
You'll probably find that the school will try to bully you OUT of this stand. Don't let 'em do it.
We had the school's super tell us that he had to check with his lawyers to see if this was a valid 'demand' on our part. (oooo, quiver, quiver. NOT) But after he did his checking, they were VERY polite and accomodating! I actually got to freep them during the meeting to discuss curriculum and how to make momma happy. It was cooool. And I didn't even stutter or stammer ONCE. (so I KNOW the Lord was helping me there! I get 'tongue-tied' from nervousness. LOL!!!!!)
OOOOOOOOOkkkkkkkkkk, time for some protests and demonstrations for morality! I can envision placards making statements about morality, faith and education. Time to react.It's not a morality issue, it's a personal liberty issue. If you insist on the right to teach your version of morality in a government school, the gay-promoters can and will too.
-Eric
The letter will be freep mailed also.
BTW....I'm convinced that with all of griping about the public schools we do, this letter would be a way to get things changed. Imagine what would happen if enough parents submitted the Hatch Letter and spelled out what their kids are NOT allowed to participate in. School change at the 'grassroots' level.
Versions of morality? Then you support personal liberties for consensual incest, bestiality, and pedophilia or are you a hypocrite protecting one class of perversion over another?
It's not a morality issue, it's a personal liberty issue. If you insist on the right to teach your version of morality in a government school, the gay-promoters can and will too.Nope...saying that government schools shouldn't be in the "morality" business, regardless of whether its defined in a Christian or a PC manner.Versions of morality? Then you support personal liberties for consensual incest, bestiality, and pedophilia or are you a hypocrite protecting one class of perversion over another?
-Eric
I'd tell them where to stick the assignment - no doubt the instructors would be intimately familiar that.
Then I would wear a Think...Outside the Triangle tee shirt to class.
I think a few (pot)heads must have rolled some joints shortly before they concocted this torture.
No one is perfect.I don't use spell check. I believe you do. Yet William Shakespeare would think your trying to correct someones' English a tragedy!
The truth is you don't use correct English. And to attack others is ludicrous.
I would rather have my command of our language( an american derivative of English) than your " holyer than thou" attitude.
Justin
One, Nora Hopfensperger whose email address is Nora_Hopfensperger@lakeland.cc.oh.us replied:
"Unfortunately the facts were misrepresented in this story but we appreciate your feedback nonetheless."
To which I responded that I seriously doubted that the facts were being misrepresented. Instead, it sounded as if she and her cohorts were trying to lie their way out of this.
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