Missouri teacher resigns after school district ordered him to remove Pride flag from classroom
Missouri is really crappy in many places. Kiss your rights goodbye.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/9/2051281/-Missouri-teacher-resigns-after-school-district-ordered-him-to-remove-Pride-flag-from-classroom
What doesn’t deserve concern or hysteria? Hanging an LGBTQ+ Pride flag in a classroom. But according to John Wallis, a 22-year-old teacher in southwest Missouri, he has had to resign from Neosho Junior High School after being told to not only take the flag down from his classroom but also to sign a letter promising not to discuss sexuality or gender with students.
Wallis was employed at the school for less than a month before resigning. As reported by The Kansas City Star, the drama and speech teacher hung the flag on a bookshelf, as well as a sign that read “in this classroom, EVERYONE is welcome” in order to let students know they could come to him for help. After a parent complained, he took down his flag and sign. Wallis said more parents complained, however, after he told students they could find another classroom if they were uncomfortable with him or their LGBTQ+ peers.
The letter to him from the administration read: “If you are unable to present the curriculum in a manner that keeps your personal agenda on sexuality out of your narrative and the classroom discussions, we will ultimately terminate your employment.”
Wallis detailed his experience in a lengthy Twitter thread. Wallis claims the Pride flag hanging in his classroom was compared to hanging a Confederate flag, and that a parent called the school to complain that Wallis was going to teach their child to be gay. That’s obviously ludicrous, but Wallis adds that he didn’t even teach the students about the flag; it was just there as a signal of support.
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