Teacher Hassles Student for Wearing Romney T-Shirt

The unnamed educator compared it to a Ku Klux Klan robe

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, as the saying goes. But a t-shirt is apparently never just a t-shirt for a Philadelphia school teacher who gave a student a good dressing down for sporting a Mitt Romney top to school.

Politico reports that a geometry teacher at Philadelphia's Charles Carroll High School is accused of ordering a student to remove the shirt the unnamed instructor compared to a Ku Klux Klan robe. The student's father called a local radio station to complain of the incident, telling it that on top of the harsh words, the teacher had tried to get his youngster kicked out of class for wearing the Romney tee.

The Philadelphia School District has responded by launching an investigation into the accusations against the unnamed teacher. But a spokesman for the school, Fernando Gallard, hints at a potentially open and closed case of First Amendment rights at work. "She was expressing her freedom of speech and was not in violation of any school or district policy," said Gallard.

Via Politico.

Should teachers keep their political opinion to themselves, or be free to criticize students for their politics?

[tomincali]

easy fix,all parents who doesn't like what she had to say can transfer to another class,can get her fired yet what will they do with an empty class room? no reason to force a kid to be in the same class as someone like that.

[steve-chicago]

The teacher compared it to the Ku Klux Klan... wow, thats harsh. Sounds like some pent up anger there.

[tomincali]

@steve-chicago not too long ago folks getting infront of cameras was basically saying this about all who did not vote obama. sad we still have folks who vote race.

[Cheenoguy]

I am as anti-Romney as the next guy, but this teacher was way out of line. There is no reason for this to have happened. It was geometry class. Teach geometry and ignore the stupid t-shirt. I have yet to see which shirt the girl was wearing (in other articles it mentions marking out "Romney and Ryan" so it wasn't the one pictured above), but I am unaware of any of Mitt's shirts that say anything racist so the KKK thing doesn't even make sense. It does seem like the school is handling it properly so far.

[Speedieg]

Yes, as long as a t-shirt is not disparaging another group then it should be allowed.

[CommonSense]

Teachers are people too. Being criticized is just life and kids need to get used to it so yes teachers should be able to criticize students for their opinions.
However this is way more than crossing the line! Students should not be punished for expressing their opinions. What if the teacher had been a Republican, the t-shirt was for Obama, and the teacher compared it to a "Stalin" t-shirt and kicked the kid out of the class?
Heck, even if a kid was wearing a Ku Klux Klan t-shirt or an "I Love Stalin" t-shirt or even a pro-Hitler t-shirt that's still a right he has under the first amendment. The first amendment applies to all views, not just popular ones or ones that authorities like. Although if I was a teacher and a kid was wearing a pro-Hitler t-shirt I would probably point out to him that his shirt is likely to offend a lot of people and that's reasonable, but I would still acknowledge it as his right to wear it.

[CommonSense]

@CCR
If he was merely criticized that would be fine. If he was threatened with punishments or told to remove the t-shirt that would NOT be fine.

[CCR]

@CommonSense That's laughable. Being a teacher, below post secondary level, you never criticize a student. A teacher's job is to stay as moderate as possible. It is ignorant to think other wise and your name is a misnomer, because from what I've read you have no common sense.

[lockboy]

I think i agree with you, but the teachers first priority is to teach her class subject. If she teaching Govt., or Debate, Politics, then the setting may be good for an honest discussion. But if she teaches English, Math, Science, etc. she needs to focus on classroom studies, and not be sidetracked by politics. find time in her personal schedule if she wants to challenge a student on their political views. I know my employer would fire me if i stopped working to argue politics all day. Why should a teachers job be any different? They're paid to teach, not campaigne.

[CommonSense]

@CCR
No wonder so many people grow up unable to handle their emotions.
Should the teacher "bash" a student over his/her beliefs? No. But civil disagreement is something kids should be expected to handle. They're already socially interacting so it's not like that's a skill that they don't need until they're adults.

[mimi57]

They should keep their political and personal opinions to themselves, unless
asked. Teachers should be teaching school subject matter...not politics!

[ir0nw0lfe]

Political facts not political opinions

[mimi57]

@ir0nw0lfe But with Politics that can be subjective , don't you think?...

[ir0nw0lfe]

@mimi57 they can teach how our political system works not what they think of it.

[mimi57]

@ir0nw0lfe Yes, I agree, and leave personal views out of it. Right?

[mimi57]

@mimi57 Sorry I was on the phone...I think I said the same thing you did LOL.

[DARSB]

A radio station reports on an incident related to it by a father who is relying on the word of his teenage geometry student. Sure, that's credible.

[Nemesis3X]

I smell a Typical liberal union thug!!!!! I'm sure she never allowed a rebuttal!

[LGRepublican]

EXACTLY what I was thinking. Just another fine example of a teacher's union goon trying to use thug tactics in order to quash any opposing view points.

[marine1]

Is this how adults set the examples in this school? Is this how they build esteem? This teacher is a VERY poor excuse for a educator.

[DARSB]

I wonder if there was a geometry test scheduled the day of the alleged incident? ;)

[marine1]

@DARSB you would

[DABurroughs]

In keeping with the Romney approach to campaigning, the student will be required to change shirts every half hour or so. It is the etch a sketch shirt program.

[ir0nw0lfe]

Teachers should not get to dress down a student over political differences. This is where it begins. Teachers should be demonstrating how civil discourse works not exemplifying the exact type of intolerance and name calling that seems to cripple honest political discussion in much of America.

[marine1]

Once again, THE simple truth and as usual, it exposes ignorance..

[Penn1699]

Seems the ACLU has a new case. Teacher took away students 1st Amendment right to free speech. Despicable!

[ibcingu]

She shouldn't have hassled the kid, she should have had him turn the t-shirt inside out. Most schools don't allow kids to wear shirts with political, or any other, message on them. I'm sure the kid knew that, but, like most disrepectful kids of today, didn't care what the rules are.

[ir0nw0lfe]

@Stratton you are too much :)

[Ramsey]

Too bad that Teacher was so uneducated that they failed to realize that THE DEMOCRAT STARTED the KLU KLUX KLAN and NOT ONE SINGLE RACIST DEMOCRAT IN GOVERNMENT EVER CHANGE THEIR PARTY AFFILIATION to Republican. The Reason the Democrat Party does a lot of race-baiting is because they all have a long history of being expert racists.

[classychazy]

What a load of b.s.! Racism knows no class boundaries rich or poor. Also go spend sometime down south. Most dumbass, redneck, racist are REPUBLICAN!

[Ramsey]

@classychazy -- You really don't know much at all. As an African-american I can tell that blacks are leaving the Racist Democrat Party. In record numbers. We are tired of hearing about your tired old race baiting tactics. No one is buy it anymore ... so go away!

[Zoe2012]

The teacher needs to be terminated, he/she should have enough brains to his/her mouth shut. Complain, complain and complain!

[seedtick]

The teacher was wrong. First ammendment rights are definitely at play here....for the student as well. If there is no dress code prohibiting it, this teacher used her authority in an inappropiate way. She is there to teach, not to slam someone who does not believe as she does. Dress code or not this teacher is wrong in how she handled this. And her reference to the KKK was stupid at best.

[InGodItrust88]

Teachers have no right to endorse a political affiliation to their students. That is not their job. They especially have no right to ENFORCE their political opinion on students. This teacher should be fired! That is unacceptable!

[BigPuma]

If you put your politics on display for all the world to see, don't be surprised when someone calls you out on it.

[lockboy]

The teacher is paid to teach. If politics are part of the class, say, like a Government class, for instance, then fine. But the teacher needs to allow for the varying political views of the whole group. The classroom isn't intended to be a soapbox for a personal political viewpoint. Thats where this teacher screwed up.

[TagnBag]

Being a teacher in a public school system means she relinquished his or her rights to freedom of expression because they are in the publics eye.

Teacher should be terminated, regardless if he or she agrees or disagrees with Romney/Ryan. That teacher is an employee of the Greater Philidelphia Public School System and appearently his or her take on policy differ's of that of the school systems.

[Titan58]

Freedom of Speech there is NO hate in this Shirt, But the Teacher needs to be Discipline. Protest at this School!!!

[Decent-Dissent]

The only confusing part is that that is a pro romney shirt...