Teachers On Leave For Allegedly Making Gay Taunts

by Tom Henderson (Subscribe to Tom Henderson's posts) Sep 18th 2009 4:45PM

Categories: In The News, Weird But True, Education

Two Minnesota teachers are on leave for allegedly harassing a student. Credit: Andy Birkey, Minnesota Independent

When high school student Alex Merritt said he wanted to do a report on Benjamin Franklin, his social studies teacher allegedly mocked him. She reportedly said he likes older men.

Another teacher allegedly said Merritt likes to wear women's clothes.

Merritt insists he is not gay. But his sexual orientation aside, the repeated and habitual verbal abuse he alleges touched off a wave of anger in Anoka, Minn., a town of 19,000 residents 25 miles north of Minneapolis -- and resulted in a $25,000 cash settlement for Merritt and his parents from the Anoka-Hennepin School District under orders from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that the controversy began months ago but continues to linger. Merritt, 18, transferred from the Secondary Technical Education Program in Anoka, where the alleged abuse took place, and graduated from Zimmerman High School, some 24 miles away.

However, a Facebook group with 2,063 members still calls for the Anoka-Hennepin School District to fire the teachers. The Star Tribune reported that protesters stood outside a district-sponsored open house Sept. 1 and handed out literature criticizing the teachers and the district.

Almost 30 people showed up the Anoka-Hennepin School Board meeting Aug. 24 to demand that the teachers be fired, according to the Star Tribune.

Meanwhile, Anoka-Hennepin School District officials told the Star Tribune last week that the teachers are no longer in their classrooms.

They are on leave from their jobs at the Secondary Technical Education Program, officials told the newspaper. Although both teachers are on leave at the same time, STEP director of career and technical education Ginny Karbowski told the Star Tribune that privacy rules prevent her from saying whether the leaves are paid or unpaid, voluntary or involuntary.

The Star Tribune, quoting Minnesota Department of Human Rights documents, reported that one of the teachers was reassigned to work that included "reflecting on equality and diversity in the classroom." According to the paper, that teacher completed one day of the new assignment before calling in sick for the rest of the week. The Star Tribune reported it is unknown what, if any, disciplinary action was taken against the other teacher.

In a twist in the case, the Star Tribune reported that a letter to district officials submitted by six former students claimed that Merritt lied about the taunting because one of the teachers told school officials that Merritt talked about bringing a gun to school.

"That is totally a lie," Merritt's mother, Jodi Merritt to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "The whole idea of that is just crazy. If someone brought a gun to school, don't you think that would be all over the paper?"

School district officials would not confirm or deny that the teacher reported Merritt talking about bringing a gun to school.

Irate citizen Adam Fairbanks helped set up a Facebook group dedicated to getting the two teachers fired. The group now has 2,063 members. He told the Star Tribune that he's gratified the teachers are on leave.

"This is a success for us," he said. "If the teachers are on unpaid leave, we're a step closer to getting them fired. If they're on paid leave, they are still not going to be with our students in the classroom. And that's our goal."

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Comments (117)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)

Mr. Randel Erlandson 9-18-2009 @ 7:26PM

Hello American's, Yes I remember first hand, the who''s and whats
about Minn, school, choices, and teachers, discriminations and the
ways of sick lonely old lady teachers get after many years in that extremely cold and unforgiving climate,, I when through it and know why and how, the whole states system does not prepare kids for adult decisions or life'e major living, challenges, nor do the politicians care in St. Paul either, this is how it is now in most of the states ,,,,Joe,

Jeffrey B 9-18-2009 @ 10:47PM

How interesting. There are D.S.S. in Minnesota too.
"Stupid is as Stupid does." ["Forrest Gump"]

Melissa 9-20-2009 @ 11:14PM

Dang, Jeffrey B... are you really that ignorant and hateful???? First of all, you need to return to school and learn to write... Your Blog shows that you are ignorant not only with what you said; but by your inability to write! For example...( theres is theirs..etc.) Second, I doubt if your children will be able to learn...Gay or Straight, if YOU help them with their homework. What happened to you to be so judgmental and hateful? Trust me, I would prefer my kids hang with Gay kids, rather than be influenced by a hateful family. You are a disgrace to all Americans. People like you give this country a bad rap. Peace and freedom should be what our Country strives for, every damn day! FOR EVERYONE!

Sunkist_gal 9-22-2009 @ 4:36AM

melissa that is just plain rude! GO AHEAD AND MAKE FUN OF GAY PEOPLE, AND PLUS HE DID'NT SPELL A DAM THING WRONG, I MEAN YOU SAID "I WOULD RATHER HAVE MY CHILDREN HANG OUT WITH GAY PEOPLE"! SO RUDE, SO RUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

paul 9-20-2009 @ 8:05PM

damn liberals ruining this country! you cannot be forced to accept something you think is wrong! I rather have my children speak up against gays and there rights! our rights as hetrosexual are more important than theres!

Layna 9-20-2009 @ 8:16PM

What rights are you losing, dumbass?

Gata 9-20-2009 @ 8:55PM

Paul pull yourself together. If your kids turn out to be gay you can blame yourself and your anger issues for it. This isn't about kids harassing - it's the teachers who make sexually loaded comments to the kids that should be the real issue here.

MICHELLE 9-20-2009 @ 8:26PM

I FEEL SO SORRY FOR YOU A ND YOU BACKWARD THINKING.IM SORRY TO INFORM YOU YOUR NO BETTER THEN ANYONE ELSE. I FEEL SO SORRY FOR YOUR CHILDREN AND THEY HAVE YOU AS A PARENT(SHAKING MY HEAD IN SHAME)

LeeAnn 9-20-2009 @ 8:42PM

Good God, if you're going to live your life as an ignorant homophobe, learn to spell!! It's "their" not "there" and "theirs" not "theres".

reason 9-20-2009 @ 8:49PM

Surely you cannot be serious....but...on the other hand, I suppose you can. There are those out there who believe themselves to be superior to others...despite the fact that it's an atrocious insult to the very foundations on which this country was built. I wonder how much better life would be if folks like you would keep your inflated opinions of yourself TO yourself, and let others live their own lives without hearing you scream at them from your computer. BTW....when you do decide to scream at them from your computer, at least use a spell check system, and have someone teach you the correct use of "there", "their", and "they're".

joe t 9-20-2009 @ 8:58PM

Of all the innumerable ways you could have stated your opposition to this judgment and even to homosexual behavior, this has to be -- in every aspect you've mentioned: your children, your rights, etc. -- the absolute STUPIDEST, most idiotic!

shawn 9-20-2009 @ 8:59PM

You're an idot! Your rights are not more important. In America everyone should have equal rights. By the way, you can't spell either.

Intothefire91 9-20-2009 @ 9:21PM

Ummm Paul, the article states the young man in question says that he is not gay....

phantom 9-20-2009 @ 9:29PM

forced to accept? no. TOLERANCE is different that acceptance. for instance, the posting of your bigotry is tolerated, even if it isn't accepted. you "conservatives" out there are the ones slowly ruining this country. you preach your moral and value system til you're blue in the face ONLY when someone offends YOU. yet you commit offenses blindly without any thought or responsibility to the consequence. blind hatred is the worst kind. and one of the biggest problems with it is that your hate isn't the only thing that's blind. it's everything else, too. i believe in God. i follow a faith. people don't accept that, but that's their problem. God's message isn't HATE. it's TOLERANCE.

redconvoy 9-20-2009 @ 9:39PM

And you are one of the reasons why this country is going to hell in a handbasket! The problem is too many people with the same IQ as you (which isn't very high) manage to run this country and none of us who have the better common sense get a say because you all think you're right in your own warped world! What the hell rights are you losing? Why should you be overly concerned about what two people of the same gender do in their own bedrooms! As long as they are not doing it on your front lawn, you should just shut your mouth! Stop teaching your kids ignorance and prejudice against everything that you don't think is normal. Remember, life doesn't revolve around you and your point of view! There are six billion other people on this planet and each with their own veiws if they are not vegetables or lemmings!

bob 9-20-2009 @ 9:52PM

Paul, you cannot spell and gays have the same rights. You sound like white trailer trash. May God forgive you.

Gary Boyer 9-20-2009 @ 10:03PM

Why are your rights more important?

cyndi 9-20-2009 @ 10:14PM

Paul, I sincerely hope that you used the word "children" in your rant figuratively and not literally. People like you shouldn't procreate. Or live among civilized society. Are you a conservative? Something tells me you are. LOL.

david ruffo 9-20-2009 @ 10:24PM

Gee Paul!
wear did you lurn how too spel?
if you hade a gay teecher i wood betcha you culd spel a hole lot beter then you do now.
dam thoze gay commy liburls,
write on paul
davdi i mean david