MCPS teacher suspensions - how is this ok?

[Anonymous]

I can't believe there isn't more outrage about these suspensions. I hadn't even heard about this Westland suspension until a couple of days ago and I have two kids in MCPS. To the Jewish parents at these schools who are NOT supportive of Israel's mass killings, is there any effort to speak up and defend these poor women?

https://moco360.media/2023/12/12/westland-middle-teacher-on-leave-under-investigation-for-social-media-posts/

[Anonymous]

This sounds very similar to the case at TPMS including the language in the principals letter. It’s truly a witch hunt at this point to silence anyone who criticizes the death and destruction going on in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military and in the name of the Israeli government.

Unfortunately it’s unsafe to speak up against Israel’s actions because of this type of crusade.

[Anonymous]

I don’t feel bad one bit for her. She was taking videos of her students and posting them online along with pro-Palestine/borderline antisemitic messages. Totally inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds very similar to the case at TPMS including the language in the principals letter. It’s truly a witch hunt at this point to silence anyone who criticizes the death and destruction going on in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military and in the name of the Israeli government.

Unfortunately it’s unsafe to speak up against Israel’s actions because of this type of crusade.

You can speak up but a) you can’t call for the destruction of Israel/support massacres of Jews and b) use images of your students in you social media, especially when accompanied by political statements repugnant to at least some of those students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds very similar to the case at TPMS including the language in the principals letter. It’s truly a witch hunt at this point to silence anyone who criticizes the death and destruction going on in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military and in the name of the Israeli government.

Unfortunately it’s unsafe to speak up against Israel’s actions because of this type of crusade.

You can speak up but a) you can’t call for the destruction of Israel/support massacres of Jews and b) use images of your students in you social media, especially when accompanied by political statements repugnant to at least some of those students.

But it's ok to support the destruction of Palestinians? Then how about suspending all the MCPS teachers who actively support Israel by posting pro-Israel messages on social media, participate in fund-raising for Israeli causes, attend synagogues that hang the Israeli flag and that post signs "I stand with Israel?"

[Anonymous]

She and the other teachers who are suspended should be suspended. My kids go to Westland and what this particular teacher did was totally inappropriate!

[Anonymous]

Is the teacher at the Jan 6th rally still in MCPS?

I do feel that their needs to be space for teachers to express their beliefs outside of school. As long as they are not breaking laws, then being a teacher shouldn’t automatically mean someone gives up 1st amendment rights. I don’t know where the line should be, but I don’t trust admin to be the decision makers in any situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds very similar to the case at TPMS including the language in the principals letter. It’s truly a witch hunt at this point to silence anyone who criticizes the death and destruction going on in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military and in the name of the Israeli government.

Unfortunately it’s unsafe to speak up against Israel’s actions because of this type of crusade.

You can speak up but a) you can’t call for the destruction of Israel/support massacres of Jews and b) use images of your students in you social media, especially when accompanied by political statements repugnant to at least some of those students.

But it's ok to support the destruction of Palestinians? Then how about suspending all the MCPS teachers who actively support Israel by posting pro-Israel messages on social media, participate in fund-raising for Israeli causes, attend synagogues that hang the Israeli flag and that post signs "I stand with Israel?"

1) no one wants the destruction of Palestians. No one. Some want the destruction of Hamas.
2) did you seriously just suggest it is appropriate to suspend MCPS teachers who attend their local place of worship that happens to fly a flag? Would it be appropriate for MCPS to suspend MCPS teachers who attend churches that happen to fly Ukrainian flags? Are actual Israeli teachers allowed to say they stand with Israel?

[Anonymous]

It is perfectly OK for MCPS to actually fire that teacher as well. OP, What that teacher did is 1000% inappropriate!

As a Jew who is not religious at all I completely support this.

How dare you not?

What that teacher did is 1000% inappropriate!

"I don’t feel bad one bit for her. She was taking videos of her students and posting them online along with pro-Palestine/borderline antisemitic messages. Totally inappropriate."

Take your crap narrative elseware or better yet remove your kid from MCPS and leave the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds very similar to the case at TPMS including the language in the principals letter. It’s truly a witch hunt at this point to silence anyone who criticizes the death and destruction going on in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military and in the name of the Israeli government.

Unfortunately it’s unsafe to speak up against Israel’s actions because of this type of crusade.

You can speak up but a) you can’t call for the destruction of Israel/support massacres of Jews and b) use images of your students in you social media, especially when accompanied by political statements repugnant to at least some of those students.

But it's ok to support the destruction of Palestinians? Then how about suspending all the MCPS teachers who actively support Israel by posting pro-Israel messages on social media, participate in fund-raising for Israeli causes, attend synagogues that hang the Israeli flag and that post signs "I stand with Israel?"

If a teacher posted something calling for the destruction of Palestine I would also expect that to be disciplined. This is about social media specifically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She and the other teachers who are suspended should be suspended. My kids go to Westland and what this particular teacher did was totally inappropriate!

Especially considering Westland has got to have so many Jewish students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the teacher at the Jan 6th rally still in MCPS?

I do feel that their needs to be space for teachers to express their beliefs outside of school. As long as they are not breaking laws, then being a teacher shouldn’t automatically mean someone gives up 1st amendment rights. I don’t know where the line should be, but I don’t trust admin to be the decision makers in any situation.

It may surprise you to know that, hey, there already is a fairly well defined set of laws regarding this. Just as a teacher that posted open racist memes could be disciplined, so can anti-semitic posts. This case however is really distinguished by the fact that this dumb*ss teacher included images of Westland students in her screeds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds very similar to the case at TPMS including the language in the principals letter. It’s truly a witch hunt at this point to silence anyone who criticizes the death and destruction going on in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military and in the name of the Israeli government.

Unfortunately it’s unsafe to speak up against Israel’s actions because of this type of crusade.

You can speak up but a) you can’t call for the destruction of Israel/support massacres of Jews and b) use images of your students in you social media, especially when accompanied by political statements repugnant to at least some of those students.

But it's ok to support the destruction of Palestinians? Then how about suspending all the MCPS teachers who actively support Israel by posting pro-Israel messages on social media, participate in fund-raising for Israeli causes, attend synagogues that hang the Israeli flag and that post signs "I stand with Israel?"

1) no one wants the destruction of Palestians. No one. Some want the destruction of Hamas.
2) did you seriously just suggest it is appropriate to suspend MCPS teachers who attend their local place of worship that happens to fly a flag? Would it be appropriate for MCPS to suspend MCPS teachers who attend churches that happen to fly Ukrainian flags? Are actual Israeli teachers allowed to say they stand with Israel?

Both of your points are completely disingenuous. I'm going to assume that you are coming from a good place but that you live in a bubble where it's assumed that Israel can do no wrong. But please know that if an MCPS teacher were to attend a mosque that flies a Palestianian flag, or show up at school wearing a keffiyah, or if she were to have a sign in her yard that says "Justice for Palestinians" I bet you she'd be publicly shamed and suspended. Do you know how many people in the US have been forced to resign, had their exhibitions and awards canceled, and otherwise suffered grave professional repercussions for criticizing Israel? Not just since Oct. 7 but for decades?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds very similar to the case at TPMS including the language in the principals letter. It’s truly a witch hunt at this point to silence anyone who criticizes the death and destruction going on in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military and in the name of the Israeli government.

Unfortunately it’s unsafe to speak up against Israel’s actions because of this type of crusade.

You can speak up but a) you can’t call for the destruction of Israel/support massacres of Jews and b) use images of your students in you social media, especially when accompanied by political statements repugnant to at least some of those students.

But it's ok to support the destruction of Palestinians? Then how about suspending all the MCPS teachers who actively support Israel by posting pro-Israel messages on social media, participate in fund-raising for Israeli causes, attend synagogues that hang the Israeli flag and that post signs "I stand with Israel?"

1) no one wants the destruction of Palestians. No one. Some want the destruction of Hamas.
2) did you seriously just suggest it is appropriate to suspend MCPS teachers who attend their local place of worship that happens to fly a flag? Would it be appropriate for MCPS to suspend MCPS teachers who attend churches that happen to fly Ukrainian flags? Are actual Israeli teachers allowed to say they stand with Israel?

Both of your points are completely disingenuous. I'm going to assume that you are coming from a good place but that you live in a bubble where it's assumed that Israel can do no wrong. But please know that if an MCPS teacher were to attend a mosque that flies a Palestianian flag, or show up at school wearing a keffiyah, or if she were to have a sign in her yard that says "Justice for Palestinians" I bet you she'd be publicly shamed and suspended. Do you know how many people in the US have been forced to resign, had their exhibitions and awards canceled, and otherwise suffered grave professional repercussions for criticizing Israel? Not just since Oct. 7 but for decades?

All of those examples are fine and would lead to no discipline.

All that is happening here is that exactly the same standards are being applied to antisemitism as to other offenses, and people are BIG mad about it.

Secondarily, naive leftist Americans are discovering the peril of mindlessly aligning with a side in global politics without fully understanding it. Radical chic may be OK when you are just wearing your Che t-shirt, but you’re going to run into problems when you are (even inadvertently) aligned with actual terrorists and anti-semites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t feel bad one bit for her. She was taking videos of her students and posting them online along with pro-Palestine/borderline antisemitic messages. Totally inappropriate.

That’s not what was described in the article