Student Claims Teacher Asked Her To Cover Up Lesbian Themed Shirt

[nanandjim]

I taught school. Even the elementary children know what those symbols mean.

Even if the kids didn't know, the teacher apparently did. Bottom line: Don't the students go to school to learn? I thought that they couldn't wear shirts with anything "distracting" on them (as Taximom indicates in her post).

 

[Paladin]

I don't see what the big deal is. So what if two symbols are interlocking? Teachers need to check their politics and ideals at the door when they enter a school.

 

[mrs.kravitz]

Aside from what the symbol on her shirt was, and it wouldnt have offended me in the least, I think the bigger issue is that her teacher and principal told her not to wear it and she did anyway. Then she calls the ACLU and now her principal is apologizing? The principal simply enforced the dress code and now she's apologizing. To me, that is not teaching our children the right message. There are rules, if you break them, there are consequences. Period. Not an apologetic principal bowing to pressure from the ACLU.

 

[Marthatex]

Please. This seems so silly to me. I bet you half the students and probably some websleuthers don't even know what the symbols are.

I admit it would have gone right over my head. I wouldn't have noticed it if it were just symbols.

Alot of schools just ban T-shirts with any type of advertising, etc. on them. It seems like that would make everything easier; as kids are bound to wear one thing or another that might offend or call attention to themselves.

A uniform is even better.

 

[reportertype]

From the article: The school's dress code prohibits "bawdy, salacious or sexually suggestive messages."

This shirt doesn't fit into that category.

 

[pedinurse]

Perhaps your students knew what those symbols mean, but I have encountered many people who have no clue. We had this discussion at a family party when a cousin was wearing a Melissa Etheridge t-shirt with the symbol on it. I was pretty shocked how many educated people young and old didn't know what it meant.

Maybe your elementary students knew the symbols, and if that is the case, good for you for teaching them.

heck, me too. when i have to work in ob we use those symbols on our boards to designate if the patient had a boy or girl baby (its behind the desk because of HIPPA, so noone but the nurses can see!), but i was talking with someone who was a nurse not too long ago who is in the peds profession who had no clue. you'd think she would have seen those at some time in her entire life. but that is not "have to know" knowledge either.
but i am surprised that ELEMENTARY school kids would know that. i don't think i figured that out until i was like in college or high school.

 

[pedinurse]

I admit it would have gone right over my head. I wouldn't have noticed it if it were just symbols.

Alot of schools just ban T-shirts with any type of advertising, etc. on them. It seems like that would make everything easier; as kids are bound to wear one thing or another that might offend or call attention to themselves.

A uniform is even better.

while i don't know that there was anything wrong with the shirt...
i love the idea of uniforms. it heads off a lot of people being offended. and a lot a problems for parents in the am!

 

[southcitymom]

while i don't know that there was anything wrong with the shirt...
i love the idea of uniforms. it heads off a lot of people being offended. and a lot a problems for parents in the am!

Me too. My oldest son's elementary school has uniforms. But the JR and High schools he will feed into don't - I almost think they are more important the older the students get!

 

[reportertype]

while i don't know that there was anything wrong with the shirt...
i love the idea of uniforms. it heads off a lot of people being offended. and a lot a problems for parents in the am!

I like the idea of uniforms, too. I actually wouldn't have minded them in school since we had no money for "cool" clothes!!

 

[White Rain]

I am not sure how I REALLY feel on this subject...when I was in school (10 yrs ago) there were NO shirts like this...rebel flag shirts were denied, Big Johnson shirts were also (had to be turned inside out)..also the black kids could NOT have picks in their hair...also a big thing among black comm. in our district...
so I guess it was kinda equal...
but still, regardless of which side had more opportunities it was ALWAYS turned into some racial thing on both sides...let the black kids have pics (some used washclothes though I NEVER knew why) or the white kids use their rebel flag clothes...it NEVER seemed to end...there really was no "coming together" of the races in MY school....and nobody really seemed to care. It was still blk against blk, whitey against white...I rememebr the big too-doo during the Simpson trial...asll of the blacks seemed to cheer for OJ whereas all of the whites (including our teach,) seemed to think he was guilty...the verdict was announced during this class period...it wasn't nice inside, I can tell ya....

 

[Masterj]

While home for the holidays I read about a school in CT that banned hoodies. Not only hooded sweatshirts, but anything with a hood I guess kids were wearing hoods and hiding earphones to listen to their ipods. That just seems to extreme for me. I mean, make a rule banning hoods being worn, but so many shirts and sweatshirts come with hoods these days.

 

[Paladin]

While home for the holidays I read about a school in CT that banned hoodies. Not only hooded sweatshirts, but anything with a hood I guess kids were wearing hoods and hiding earphones to listen to their ipods. That just seems to extreme for me. I mean, make a rule banning hoods being worn, but so many shirts and sweatshirts come with hoods these days.

Heh, kind of funny how a few can ruin it for the rest. I remember back in the 80s when those little "slap wrap" bracelet things were huge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slap_bracelet

They were banned by my school when kids were going up to other kids and slapping them on their wrists. Needless to say some kids skin is more sensitive than others and kids were ending up with red marks and bruises.

 

[White Rain]

Heh, kind of funny how a few can ruin it for the rest. I remember back in the 80s when those little "slap wrap" bracelet things were huge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slap_bracelet

They were banned by my school when kids were going up to other kids and slapping them on their wrists. Needless to say some kids skin is more sensitive than others and kids were ending up with red marks and bruises.

I had some of those! Loved them.