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Gidney N Cloyd

(19,847 posts) Tue Jun 30, 2015, 10:19 PM Jun 2015

Teacher in Martinsville, Ill., fired for stepping on American flag

http://www.nwherald.com/2015/06/29/teacher-in-martinsville-ill-fired-for-stepping-on-american-flag/at7ptq2/

Teacher in Martinsville, Ill., fired for stepping on American flag

MARTINSVILLE – An eastern Illinois teacher has been fired for stepping on a small U.S. flag during a lesson last month.

The Mattoon Journal-Gazette reported the Martinsville School District board voted 6-0 Thursday to fire English teacher Jordan Parmenter. Martinsville is about 80 miles southeast of Champaign near the Indiana state line.

The district placed Parmenter on leave after the May 15 incident.

Parmenter has said he used the flag as a pointer during a lesson on free speech at Martinsville Junior-Senior High School. A student complained that the teacher was being disrespectful, and Parmenter said he then stepped on the flag as an example of free speech.

Parmenter declined to comment about being fired. He said he plans to speak to his union representative.

Life in downstate Illinois. Careful venturing too far from Chicago or the college towns.

9 replies

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Teacher in Martinsville, Ill., fired for stepping on American flag (Original Post) Gidney N Cloyd Jun 2015 OP

freakin' dumbasses.... dhill926 Jun 2015 #1

That School Board is about to get up close and personal with a First Amendment lesson. procon Jun 2015 #2

Teachers do not have 1st Amendment rights in the classroom Peregrine Jun 2015 #3

Hope so. n/t progressoid Jun 2015 #4

Same teacher who tried to get 840high Jun 2015 #5

No that was in NY Person 2713 Jul 2015 #6

Thanks. 840high Jul 2015 #9

“Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people’s minds Tierra_y_Libertad Jul 2015 #7

Not too far from where I grew up AwakeAtLast Jul 2015 #8

dhill926

(16,355 posts)

1. freakin' dumbasses....

Reply to Gidney N Cloyd (Original post)

Tue Jun 30, 2015, 10:21 PM

Jun 2015

procon

(15,805 posts)

2. That School Board is about to get up close and personal with a First Amendment lesson.

Reply to Gidney N Cloyd (Original post)

Tue Jun 30, 2015, 10:37 PM

Jun 2015

Give that teacher some major coinage for the trouble they caused him.

Peregrine

(992 posts)

3. Teachers do not have 1st Amendment rights in the classroom

Reply to procon (Reply #2)

Tue Jun 30, 2015, 10:52 PM

Jun 2015

Federal courts have ruled that teachers are to teach to the state standards by a means approved by the school district. Since they are agents of and represent the state and county, they can be restricted in their speech.

progressoid

(49,999 posts)

4. Hope so. n/t

Reply to procon (Reply #2)

Tue Jun 30, 2015, 10:53 PM

Jun 2015

840high

(17,196 posts)

5. Same teacher who tried to get

Reply to Gidney N Cloyd (Original post)

Tue Jun 30, 2015, 11:21 PM

Jun 2015

his students to do an essay on Jews caused the Holocaust.

Person 2713

(3,263 posts)

6. No that was in NY

Reply to 840high (Reply #5)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 12:26 AM

Jul 2015

840high

(17,196 posts)

9. Thanks.

Reply to Person 2713 (Reply #6)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 07:37 PM

Jul 2015

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)

7. “Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people’s minds

Reply to Gidney N Cloyd (Original post)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 01:27 AM

Jul 2015

“Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people’s minds & then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead.” ― Arundhati Roy

AwakeAtLast

(14,133 posts)

8. Not too far from where I grew up

Reply to Gidney N Cloyd (Original post)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 07:18 PM

Jul 2015

Unfortunately not surprised.

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