4th grade teacher "reassigned" after coming out

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 5:47pm

From Dan Savage's Stranger blog:

"Seth Stambaugh, a 23-year-old teacher in Beaverton, Oregon, (eight miles outside of Portland) is asked by a fourth-grader why he's not married, and he tells the truth—that he hearts men, and man-on-man marriage is illegal. A parent overhears, complains, and Stambaugh is reassigned to another school."

And here's the clincher:

"Maureen Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the Beaverton School District, said the decision was not discriminatory but based on the Stambaugh's "professional judgment and age appropriateness." She added that the school district enforces its antidiscrimination policy and trains its faculty and staff on LGBT issues."
"Gay Oregon teacher reassigned to teaching in closet"

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 5:50pm

Here's the original article. And we wonder where and when homophobia starts...
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/10/04/Teacher_Reassigned_For_Coming_Out_to_Student/

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 7:48pm

This has been a ridiculously bad few months for us.

[mormonophobic]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 8:34pm

As a future teacher, I've been wondering what to tell kids when they ask similar questions. I know you aren't supposed to divulge aspects of your personal life to the students. Yet if some young gay teen comes to me, in desperate need of a positive gay role model, am I really just supposed to tell him he's alone? I've been very divided on this issue since I decided to teach.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 8:42pm

I think you're just not supposed to divulge your personal life if you're gay. I mean, if a teacher is pregnant people are allowed to talk about that, and what is that other than a public conversation about her sex life?

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 9:06pm

I am genuinely wondering what, according to the school administration, the appropriate response would be.

"I just haven't met the right girl"?

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 9:11pm

As a parent, I would rather the teacher tell my kid the truth. I would hope that kids that age would already know what "gay" means, but unfortunately I know that's living in a dream world. It's easier for me though because one of my college friends and his partner have a baby that they had via surrogate, and there are pictures all the time on facebook and he sees them, so it's normal for him.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 9:12pm

I just wonder how we're supposed to be telling the gay boys and girls that it gets better when it's not going that great for this poor schmuck?

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 9:14pm

Phyllis, someone on Facebook just said the exact same thing. (Maybe it was you?)

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 9:15pm

Yeah, it was me. I'm cross-posting my outrage tonight.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 9:17pm

Don't blame you one bit!

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 9:37pm

Thank God for sane parents like Stockard.

I'd like to think that they are the majority.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 9:42pm

Thanks, Reg. I'd like to think it too, but unfortunately I doubt it. Even within my family (not my side, but my husband's), there is some intolerant b.s. said. I almost threw my brother in law out of my house one time. If it hadn't been my mother in law's birthday I would have. I told my husband that at Thanksgiving, there will be no political type talk of any kind - because I don't want to get drunk and kick his ass.

eta: not my husband's ass. My brother in law's. My husband has become much more tolerant since we've been married.

Updated On: 10/5/10 at 09:42 PM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 9:49pm

Love you, Stock!

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 9:52pm

Love you too, sweetie!

[violet72]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 9:53pm

I don't understand this... I am a teacher and straight and my students know that I have a boyfriend and I am a daughter/sister, what college I went to, hell they know my favorite color...in fact on the first day of school to humanize yourself you are told to talk about yourself...what he did was appropriate, he told the truth. This just pisses me off. I hate stupid close minded, intolerant, bigots.
I also direct the high school's musical and coach color guard I have had many students come out to me and some of them are tortured in school which breaks my heart. I have always told them that it gets better(now more then ever), but when I read things like this is happening it makes breaks my heart

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 10:08pm

At my high school there was really no secrets between the majority of students & teachers.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 10:12pm

There were always rumors at our school about a few teachers, but it never seemed to be an issue.

I'm really beginning to appreciate just how good I had it.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/6/10 at 8:07am

When I was teaching my students always knew who I was dating etc. My (then) boyfriend came to football and basketball games with me. My son's teacher talks about her family all the time - he knows the names of all of her kids. So talking about your personal life is not a no=no.