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June 15, 2009
Teacher Fired For Being Conservative
Old Media Ignore Teacher Firing -- He's Conservative Naturally
Early in May, Lawrence High School of Lawrence, Kansas fired government and history teacher Tim Latham. Latham charges that District 912 fired him because he is a conservative and many of his students have since rallied to his defense. Some 200 of them joined a FaceBook page in support and four appeared at a school board meeting on June 8 to advocate for their favorite teacher.
One reason given for the firing is that Mr. Latham did not show Obama's inauguration live in his class and another is that staff members disparaged him for supporting Republicans during the late presidential race, most especially then vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin.
On June 8, an advocacy group, Kansas 9.12 Project also attended the school board meeting and spoke on Mr. Latham's behalf.
Meredith Richey, member, Kansas 9/12 Project, said it had come to the attention of the group that a teacher within Lawrence Public Schools was given a non-renewal because of a difference in political opinion. She asked the board of education to investigate this and possibly reconsider the non-renewal or check into how teachers are released so this is not a pattern in Lawrence. She said different opinions should be tolerated and she believes this is worth exploring.
According to a press release from the Kansas 9.12 Project, school board members admitted to the teachers union that they had not properly followed union rules to dismiss the teacher.
Prior to meeting with Mr. Cunningham, the Kansas 912’ers met with the teacher and then later met with the teacher’s union representative from the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA).
The KNEA representative stated the district admitted they violated the current employment contract by failing to do required in-class evaluations in accordance with the teacher-agreement. He also indicated LHS administrators appear to have harassed the teacher over an assignment where students were asked to contrast the pro’s and con’s of each presidential candidate during the fall election and again because his class did not watch the Presidential inauguration live in his classroom. Harassment also included a Vice Principal confronting the teacher about -- who he should vote for -- and by making disparaging remarks like ”how can you support that woman”, in reference to Sarah Palin. In addition, the teacher was also knocked by other staff members who criticized him for displaying a McCain/Palin bumper sticker on his car and one administrator even demanded he remove links from his teacher webpage to government and historical websites including the armed forces and Arlington National Cemetery, suggesting the teacher’s page was “too patriotic."
Another school board meeting will be held on June 22 and Latham's supporters intend to appear then to pursue the matter further.
Kansas media outlets do not seem much interested in this story, though the Kansas Liberty (subscription required) did cover the story at the end of May. Coverage has been extremely scarce locally and no national coverage has been seen in any case.
It is interesting, though, to see how this story is finding a deaf ear among the media. One might think that a teacher claiming to have been fired over his political beliefs and the subsequent First Amendment questions that raises would be a natural flash point that would draw media coverage. But, thus far, it is seems that little attention has been paid this story.
Earl Glynn, of the website Kansas Meadowlark blog has some interesting video of what students had to say about Mr. Latham.
VIDEO : Save Mr. Tim Latham, Lawrence High School History and Government Teacher
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Wild Thing's comment.......
But of couse they would never fire a liberal for re-writing history and or the lies the left tells about past wars and so many things.
Posted by Wild Thing at June 15, 2009 06:40 PM
Comments
In 2004 I told my George Soros look alike, act alike boss where he could put his job.
I went to the local school district headquarters, they badly wanted bus drivers and bus mechanics. Either one would have been fine with me, so I hung my curriculum vitae out there for their perusal. Then proceeded to check back in person every few days. I was in the office one day dressed in a sports suit and over heard a discussion about one of their staff members who they mentioned didn't have the "right thinking", I knew right then and there that they weren't going to like me and why they never responded. Looks like that is what this teacher was ensnared in and smeared for. The likes of Bill Ayres and Ward Churchill speak volumes about the ills of the classroom from top to bottom. God I hate the tenure system as bad as I hate the unions.
Posted by: Jack at June 15, 2009 08:53 PM
I don't know but this may be a little radical but conservatives are being kicked around for 'their freedom' of speech. Maybe its time for a Conservative Vigilante Group, unsponsored, unrelated and spontaneous, well trained thugs for our side to start banging some heads when shit like this happens Like Bill Anderson told Josey Wales were going up to Kansas to set things right.
Afterall, the left has ACLU a communist group, ACORN another fascist group both thugs in their own way, the new black panthers a thug group bent on intimidating people. This is quid pro quo.
The Principal could get an 'ad hoc' visit at three in the morning, for a one on one, for some 'fair' therapy.
I am really tired of this crap and something has to be done about it.
Posted by: Mark at June 15, 2009 09:42 PM
I expect to hear from Ward Churchill at any moment.
Posted by: Duane at June 15, 2009 10:55 PM
Jack, I am so glad you overheard them
talking, and even if they had hired you
sooner or later they would have been
mean to you or fired you for absolutley
no reason.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 15, 2009 11:28 PM
Mark, that was a good western, great line
from it.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 15, 2009 11:32 PM
Duane, yesss good point.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 15, 2009 11:33 PM
