Education reporters to help hold MCPS accountable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Freedom of speech

The First Amendment does not protect speech that:
- Incites imminent lawless action. This means the speech is intended to and likely to provoke immediate illegal activity.
- Constitutes a true threat. This involves a serious expression of intent to commit violence against a particular individual or group.
- Is considered "fighting words". These are words that by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace, and are typically limited to face-to-face encounters.
- Defames someone. This involves a false statement that harms an individual's reputation and can be proven false.
- Harassment. This refers to severe, persistent, and pervasive unwelcome conduct based on protected characteristics that unreasonably interferes with an individual's educational or employment environment.

There are consequences to racist speech. Employers, schools, social groups and/or platforms, public spaces, etc can still respond to such speech with disciplinary actions, termination of employment, social repercussions, law enforcement involvement, etc.

So, no, the First Amendment does not apply to all situations. Just don't be a racist POS.

Exactly, what OP describes doesn’t fall under the exclusions. Freedom of speech. Especially speech you hate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ES teacher used anti-Black slurs in class against a student. Incident isn’t isolated; everything was reported up the chain including to Taylor. Investigation has allegedly been pending for months.

Yet the teacher will get a new class on Tuesday. I can’t sit by and let it happen.

Whom to contact in the media? Alexandra Robbins comes to mind - anyone else?

Anti-black? When did we stop using the word racist? I'm assuming you're not black.

No, we use anti-Black because we want to be specific about the harm caused. Racist has become bastardized and co-opted and conflated with prejudice. Saying anti-Black is a clear and intentional way that Black people are naming and shaming the harm inflicted upon them.

[Anonymous]

0p, can you at least give the “slur” and the context?

As a teacher I honestly struggle with keeping up with slang and what modern culture considers slur.

For example: can’t use the word “thug” anymore since some consider that a replacement for the N’word.

[Anonymous]

I get the feeling that this OP’s accusation will culminate in $500,000 of our tax dollars being paid out like to the BCC teacher last month where the jury found that the school defamed him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:0p, can you at least give the “slur” and the context?

As a teacher I honestly struggle with keeping up with slang and what modern culture considers slur.

For example: can’t use the word “thug” anymore since some consider that a replacement for the N’word.

Don’t want to out myself, but it wasn’t “thug.” It was a word/phrase that has never been acceptable, not even in 1940. The teacher shouted it at a student, in front of the whole class, in anger.

I understand these scenarios can get tricky and complex, but this really is just wrong.

The child was ten years old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get the feeling that this OP’s accusation will culminate in $500,000 of our tax dollars being paid out like to the BCC teacher last month where the jury found that the school defamed him.

OP here. I can tell this is what MCPS is afraid of, and it’s frustrating. The teacher admitted wrongdoing in a meeting with admin and a parent, so there would be no case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get the feeling that this OP’s accusation will culminate in $500,000 of our tax dollars being paid out like to the BCC teacher last month where the jury found that the school defamed him.

OP here. I can tell this is what MCPS is afraid of, and it’s frustrating. The teacher admitted wrongdoing in a meeting with admin and a parent, so there would be no case.

If they admitted wrongdoing, I would think a disciplinary measure would be necessary, not losing their job, unless the behavior continues.