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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAn Iowa teacher was placed on leave after sharing he is bisexual. His students staged a walkout.
As far as I can tell
it is a public high school. It is 2021. WTF!!
An Iowa teacher was placed on leave after sharing he is bisexual. His students staged a walkout.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/07/iowa-students-lucas-kaufmann-administrative-leave/5763775001/
Samantha Hernandez Sarah Kay LeBlanc
Des Moines Register
DES MOINES, Iowa Cora Smith walked out of Winterset's High School Tuesday with a bisexual pride flag draped over her shoulders.
The 10th grader was among more than 100 students who walked out a in protest over the school district placing seventh-grade literacy teacher Lucas Kaufmann on leave.
Kaufmann was placed on leave last week following a presentation about himself to his class featured the LGBT Pride flag, according to a www.change.org petition. When asked by students, Kaufmann said he was bisexual.
Nearly 1,500 people have signed the online petition. "We're hoping that this will help Mr. Kaufmann," Smith said.
Winterset Community School District Superintendent Justin Gross confirmed Kaufmann was placed on leave after concerns were raised following his presentation, but declined further comment. State law prohibits employers from firing employees based on sexual orientation and gender identification, which Gross acknowledged.
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madaboutharry
(40,149 posts)Dont be fooled by the pretty covered bridges.
Response to madaboutharry (Reply #1)
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Aristus
(66,075 posts)because they worry they'll be bullied, or at least not understood by their classmates, sure.
It's a way of putting a human face on what to many may be an abstract issue.
Looks like it worked, too. Such courage and empathy the students showed in support of their teacher. It's reasonable to assume now that they would do the same for their fellow students.
This is a plus, and should be viewed that way...
Response to Aristus (Reply #17)
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Jim G.
(14,811 posts)I think you're most uncomfortable with the truth.
Aristus
(66,075 posts)I'm not asking that just to be provocative. The rainbow and ANTIFA flags represent a net positive, whereas Nazi and Confederate flags represent an unequivocal negative. There's no both-siderisms here.
Jim G.
(14,811 posts)That's not their purpose here.
Solomon
(12,305 posts)(pouting) I never get to play with the trolls.
Response to Aristus (Reply #28)
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Aristus
(66,075 posts)Confederate flag: independence, history, heritage; ANTIFA - Nazis, KKK.
Enjoy your stay...
I'm done...
BumRushDaShow
(127,279 posts)Jim G.
(14,811 posts)They only post here to disrupt.
Aristus
(66,075 posts)mn9driver
(4,412 posts)So nice to see you again.
Happy Hoosier
(7,073 posts)Teachers are people. Most of my teachers would tell me something about themselves.
Response to Happy Hoosier (Reply #25)
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mn9driver
(4,412 posts)He didnt drape a flag around his shoulders. That was one of his students in response to his suspension. Spending a lot of time in libraries helps with reading for detail, dont you think?
Response to mn9driver (Reply #35)
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madaboutharry
(40,149 posts)Not whether the teacher said anything personal.
But let us just say that he said he was heterosexual and had a wife or a girlfriend. Would he have been placed on leave? I think not.
fescuerescue
(4,448 posts)That seems inappropriate no matter what flag he flies.
Especially since he teaches English. Not health.
obamanut2012
(25,906 posts)Can you link to that? Because that would be wholly inappropriate, and then he should be fired.
LeftInTX
(24,541 posts)Details aren't the best though because what kind of presentation was it? Was he doing a generic "get to know your teacher" that happened to include a flag? Context just isn't clear.
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,145 posts)DFW
(54,050 posts)Kudos to the students for supporting him, nonetheless!
The principal could have called the guy into his office for a quiet reprimand, and it would have sufficed. It's not like the teacher was looking for recruits.
FreeState
(10,552 posts)Id agree with you. But we all know thats not the case.
dsc
(52,129 posts)and do tell them thing about myself. In my case that I am a recovering alcoholic and that I am in the Triangle Gay Men's Chorus. The sentient ones likely figure out the rest.
Response to fescuerescue (Reply #3)
pinkstarburst This message was self-deleted by its author.
Treefrog
(4,170 posts)In elementary school, I remember seeing one of my teachers in a grocery store and being amazed lol.
My mother (who had been a teacher) thought that was hysterical, chiding me that teachers were people too.
I can't imagine why he thought it was appropriate to talk about his sexuality to his students.
Happy Hoosier
(7,073 posts)He made a brief presentation about himself of which one small part mentioned, by inference, his sexuality.
He wasn't including diagrams.
fescuerescue
(4,448 posts)I'd like to see it myself
Thanks! You are very helpful.
Ms. Toad
(33,915 posts)Never have a picture of their spouse on their desk? Wear a wedding ring? Each of those announces - in school, in whatever class they are teaching, that they have sex with someone of the opposite gender.
If it is inappropriate for an LGBT person to disclose ther sexuality, it is equally inappropriate for a straight person to do so.
Just had my hair cut by a daughter's buddy high school buddy who was suspended 15 years ago for wearing an, "I love my girlfriend" T-shirt. A substantial portion of the class reacted the same way this class did, - they all planned to wear matching T-shirts. After being threatened with suspension they wore "Free Speech" shirts instead of shirts that matched my daughter's buddy's.
The principal who suspended her wore a wedding ring and had a picture of his wife on his desk. Which I pointed out to him when I promised him that if he suspended my daughter he'd have a legal fight on his hands.
Can't believe I'm still having this conversation.
fescuerescue
(4,448 posts)No
None of my teachers ever did a presentation on themselves, their sexuality or their family. Especially in ENGLISH class!!
Occasionally I heard a reference to a husband or wife. But even that was pretty darn uncommon. In fact I'm trying to recall such a conversation and I'm coming up empty (of course high school was 30+ years ago)
Honestly, my teachers really did stick to teaching.
As for wedding rings. I have never heard of that being controversial for anyone. Now or back then.
The only time I've ever heard of someone getting upset over a wedding band is when it's worn when it shouldn't - such as operating machinery where such a practice is dangerous.
I suppose I could do some googling over wedding band protests, wedding band suspensions etc, but I'll just rely on my memory here.
But I'll say this. Yes. No teacher should be talking about their sexuality to their students. Straight or otherwise. It's just inappropriate.
Ms. Toad
(33,915 posts)And don't even notice when other straight people do it, But are outraged when LGBTQ people do exactly the same.
.
My point about wedding bands isn't that straight people are being suspended for wearing them -it is that they aren't, but that it is one more way straight people announce their sexuality - or even invite conversation about their sexuality, without even being aware of it. My spouse had her first wedding band stolen, because she removed it when she arrived at work out of fear she would be asked about her husband and have to choose between disclosing her sexuality and lying. She tucked it into the pocket of the sweater she kept on her chair when she arrived, and left it there by accident one night and it was gone the next morning.
I wore mine at work, As a public school teacher, and was frequently asked about my husband by both students and faculty.
Most people who have never had to think about hiding their sexuality talk about their own with great regularity without any awareness at all that they are even doing it - and are similarly unaware when others do it.
Bettie
(15,997 posts)the students advocated for him.
In Winterset Iowa, a town of about 5,000. Red as can be.
The kids walked out over this. I think that is a ray of hope.
SharonClark
(10,005 posts)especially in deep red Madison County. I'm sure this was ginned up by the right-wing rag mentioned in the article.
IowaGuy
(776 posts)Whiskeytide
(4,459 posts)Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)enacted a law that gives Medical professionals and insurance companies to refuse to give or in the insurance company's case have to pay for treatment of LGBTQ people. So in Ohio, it is OK to literally kill people like my daughter...It is not 2021 in a number of states.
"Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, signed a bill late last month that allows any medical provider to deny treatment to LGBTQ patients based on moral grounds. The measure comes months after Arkansas, South Dakota, and Montana enacted similar legislation, indicating a growing trend among Republican-controlled state legislatures.
The Ohio provision was tucked inside a 700-page document of amendments to the states two-year budget bill and remained largely unexamined until DeWine had signed it into law. The governor didnt mention the change in a four-page summation of the amendments posted to his website."
https://fortune.com/2021/07/09/ohio-law-allows-doctors-to-deny-health-care-and-birth-control-to-lgbtq-patients.
Whiskeytide
(4,459 posts)
having a moral objection to treating people due to their orientation would violate just about every oath taken by health care professionals.
I just dont understand what is wrong with people.
Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)hospitals have closed so there are many communities that have only Catholic hospitals...Catholics even some doctors and nurses are against abortion and LGBTQ as well. There is a law on the books now in Ohio that a woman can't go to a public hospital if she has medical issues due to an abortion. The doctor can be charged. This means that even in miscarriage a doctor must be certain abortion was not involved. It is a nightmare.
EndlessWire
(6,373 posts)that it was inappropriate for the teacher to talk about his own sexuality, and that's even if he was teaching health class, which he wasn't. He seems to lack some discernment for what can be talked about, and what is better left to the parent, or at least some other point in time. There is nothing bold or daring about this. Not the time to raise the gay pride flag, either. Stick to your subject.
There was absolutely no reason to make an issue of this, unless some kid was giving out signs of impending suicide over their own situation. And then, a referral would have been more appropriate. If some kid had tried it, then a global response of acceptance may have been acceptable, but they aren't saying this is what happened.
Wingus Dingus
(8,049 posts)It's one thing to mention your partner (of same or opposite gender) in the course of classroom chatter, as my teachers sometimes did. Or to briefly acknowledge you're bisexual or gay or straight. Most kids can handle those facts, and you're not making a point of telling them all about it. Where he went wrong was making a presentation about it.
Happy Hoosier
(7,073 posts)Where the FUCK is the logic of that? Would a straight teacher be suspended for making a point of mentioning they were straight?
FUCK THIS and FUCK anyone who supports this.
Wingus Dingus
(8,049 posts)Presentation means a focus on the topic, and prepared material. Mentioning is just a brief noting of a fact.
Happy Hoosier
(7,073 posts)The presentation was about himself in general. It's included a pride flag. When asked by students, he said he is bisexual. Where's the problem?
Are you advocating for a "don't ask, don't tell" policy?
Wingus Dingus
(8,049 posts)presentation on his orientation that was probably too much. My teachers never stood in front of class and talked about their orientation. We just mostly surmised it from "My husband is a dentist" or "My wife is in the hospital so I will be out this week".
Happy Hoosier
(7,073 posts)Why should someone have to hide something as basic as that about themselves?
So we have to dance around fundamental aspects of ourselves out of fear of offending someone? NOPE.
Response to Happy Hoosier (Reply #31)
pinkstarburst This message was self-deleted by its author.
Happy Hoosier
(7,073 posts)He better be getting paid, and he better not have his career prospects limited.
This is out-fucking-rageous.
Sympthsical
(8,928 posts)I googled around, but haven't been able to find anything other than a Pride flag was involved.
The Superintendent knows orientation is a protected class by law, so he'd have to have pretty good reason or else he'd be in for some shit. What is it he's claiming happened here?
These articles are surprisingly light on details. I always get a little suspicious when people and articles kind of talk around a situation and don't give a clear view of how everything got from A to B. I'm sure the reporter must know. Would they mind filling us in?
I'm a gay man at a position of authority at my job, so I'd be interested to know what exactly went down here.
Behind the Aegis
(53,823 posts)One simply has to look at comments in THIS thread to see why this happened.
People are wondering why this happening in 2021, but why is this happening HERE in 2021?!
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,145 posts)Happy Hoosier
(7,073 posts)I am SHOCKED by the some of the comments here.
MustLoveBeagles
(11,563 posts)Bettie
(15,997 posts)I was really surprised by some of the comments in a not-good way.
DavidDvorkin
(19,404 posts)Which I guess is indicative of how invisible bisexuals are.
Behind the Aegis
(53,823 posts)However, the bi pride flag has been around for over 20 years. It looks like this: