Does anyone know any more on this story about teacher sacked

[Whispering Winds]

I don't know . . . . .this is crazy . . . .I have a FB but I love the games more than anything, and have hundreds of friends, but small town and working in a school system for 16 years, most of them are my young customers from the school kitchen days . . . .but we have teachers who have babies and aren't married and no one says a word about that. . . . a young pretty OVER 21 teacher who has a brewsky in another country, on her own time . . .wow, that is almost too much to take in. . .I don't drink, but its not going to ruin a kid to see a teacher with a brew, believe me. I just don't know . . . .

 

[mom'sfolly]

I don't quite understand why this would get someone fired. Almost makes me wonder if the school district was looking for a reason. I know a lot of the teachers at my kid's school, and see them eating out, at sporting events and other places. I wouldn't expect them to act less than adult and human in public; which means they are allowed to drink, eat and even smoke and swear. Any reasonable parent can use any undesirable thing they see a teacher doing as a "teachable moment". I'm not afraid to tell my kids that my neighbor's texting in a school zone is inappropriate, I also would have not problem saying that "seeing your teacher smoking just shows that even adults don't always make good choices". I agree with the poster that posting the picture on facebook is not much different than seeing the teacher at the local pub having a drink.

I also think this garbage is why my niece doesn't have a facebook account. She is a young teacher, just two years out of college, and I think she doesn't want anything that might damage her reputation out there.

 

[mom'sfolly]

I wonder how this was resolved. I just saw that this happen in August of 2009.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

There are three very distinct separate issues here.

1.) All employers should have very clear guidelines, clearly disseminated about what they consider your private live and what they do not. As an employee you relinquish many of your rights. People need to be aware of that and have the boundaries explained to them.

2.) Teachers used to have to live in the schoolhouse and were watched by everyone. There was a time and place when this was the norm. It is not now, nor should it be. Within the confines of the above a teacher's private time is just that - private. Assuming s/he is not with students, or recounting her/his exploits to students, if it is legal, it is his/her business. (Geez Writer, some people need to get a life!?! Sorry that happened to you.)

3.) Facebook's very premise is to remove the boundaries in your life. The idea is to make all aspects of your life seamless. This is a very bad idea. People have boundaries for a reason. We all have the right to a public and a private self. None of us, not a one, can be on public behavior all of the time. This is the stuff that leads to Brittney Spears and Lindsey Lohan. No one can withstand that stress. The corporation that is facebook can and does change privacy settings on people without notice. And the settings they have are about as private as a first floor motel room with lace curtains.

We all have friends we don't want to have sit down with our parents. We all need to have the ability to grouse with our fiends about our bosses. But, now people don't see that facebook is NOT PRIVATE. No matter what you think your settings are. Do not ever put or say anything on facebook that you are not willing to see in a headline. Yes, it IS that bad. Today's young people do not understand this and it will haunt them for decades.

 

[kelseygirl707]

My Brother is a HS teacher, and for his first year of teaching he allowed his students to be friends with him on Facebook, but got tired of having to sensor everything on his page, so he closed his FB page, made a new one, and enforced a rule of No Students until they have graduated, and even then it is only a select few that he allows, mostly because he is close with their parents. I'm sure somebody would have gotten offended on Super Bowl Sunday if they read that he Made several recipes that incuded Beer, but that is why his FB is private unless he truly trusts you. I have Run into teachers at restraunts and Fairs, and seen them drinking a glass of Beer or Wine, and never once did I think that was wrong, that is their personal time, to do as they please. Heck, on Band trips my mom used to go out to Dinner with the Band teachers and other chapperones, and they might have a glasss of beer with Dinner, the students weren't present but a few parents were, it's not like they were getting drunk! Ugh! Now I'm all worked up!

 

[sheila3935]

This is just insane. First she is 24 years old. If she wants to have a drink thats her business. Second she is human not God. So she made a mistake putting it on facebook oh well not end of the world. There was nothing wrong with the picture she was on vacation she is young she was having some fun. People are just crazy and mean anymore. I would not think twice about seeing a picture of my kids teacher like that. Different matter if she was drunk at school or telling her class what fun she had drinking but that didnt happen. WHATS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD. Why are people so petty and into everyone business. Guess thats why I like my chickens more than alot of people.

 

[Rozzie]

Personally, I think it's ridiculous.

As long as her behavior is legal, the school should not even be concerned about it. They should have told the person who brought in a complaint to go stuff it.

Heck, I don't care if she was slobbering drunk in the picture. So long as she is doing her job without impairment and not coming into school drunk or with the smell of alcohol on her it is NOT the school's business. Getting drunk is legal in this country, as far as I know, though some places do have laws about being drunk in public...

"Inappropriate behavior" is a ridiculous phrase. It's far too subjective & is usually steeped in the beliefs of the speaker's personal religious belief system. When we hear that phrase it's usually referring to sex or alcohol or participation in protests/rallies for or against a controversial cause. If it were referring to drug use or similar things mostly, then it would simply state "illegal activity." Using "inappropriate behavior" instead is usually an attempt by someone else to apply their own religious code to others.

Edited to add: I don't even think she made a mistake to post it on FB. Her behavior was legal. It wasn't a religious school, to my knowledge.

 

[wegotchickens]

mom'sfolly :

I wonder how this was resolved. I just saw that this happen in August of 2009.

It happened in 2009 but is back in the news again because the lady would like to get back teaching. She went back to school herself for a while, but really misses teaching. It's what she always wanted to do. So she wants to clear this up now and is fighting for her rights.

I think getting fired for a couple of photos is ridiculous.
But I also know petty politics can rule a school system. My sis disabled her facebook for a while, and dropped a lot of folks, because of school issues. Now she's back on, but rarely posts.


In the news segment I saw, the complaint was anonymous. She was fired for a single anonymous complaint, because she was drinking an ale on an international trip and posted a photo of it. I think the actions the school took were incredibly harsh.​

 

[Teach97]

It is a sad thing...

My district doesn't have regulations about suchthings but we talked about it...most of the teachers have FB accounts and check in on kids that have graduated or even give some help and advice to current students...I do not...as a male teacher I am to afraid of something being taken the wrong way...having said that...I am also our school's counselor (small school we all wear a couple hats) anyways...I have had several kids come to me and through the process of talking and such...they needed a hug...fire me! I am not going to be the one that allows a kid to not feel loved and cared for. I tell moms what I have done afterwards...couple them have hugged me back...I will probably get canned at some point for it but bring it on! I will admit that I don't buy alcoholic type things at normal stores and will only get them at the liquor store after carefully checking the parking lot...yeah...I don't drink much

 

[mom'sfolly]

Lets not forget the single explicative as well. It didn't even say if she was the one who wrote the bad word.

I used to babysit (back in the caveman era) for my high school social studies teacher/basketball coach. I babysat every game Saturday, and someone else did every game Friday. The coach had beer in his fridge, he and his wife lived together before they were married and he regularly gambled (poker games). I lived in a conservative small town, and this was not a problem...why, because he was an adult and wasn't expected to have to behave like a child to teach. Yes, he watched his language in public, didn't play poker with his team friends until after they graduated, didn't get drunk in public and married his live-in; but that wasn't the point.