IL teacher to students - 'How would you feel about your tax dollars going to pay black fags'

A Geneva High School teacher is being accused of making anti-gay and racist comments in his classroom.

Dave Burk, who teaches consumer education, is accused of making the comments by his students during an Oct. 5 lecture on tax money involving the National Endowment for the Arts.

"How would you feel about your tax dollars going to pay some black fag in New York to take pictures of other black fags?" Burk allegedly asked, according to student Jordan Hunter.

Burk's attorney, D.J. Tegeler, said Monday he was not personally aware of the terms Burk used to his classes, but that Burk apologizes for any offense.

"Mr. Burk is cooperating fully with both the principal, the dean of students and the school board," Tegeler said. "Mr. Burk's biggest problem is he does not want to intentionally offend anybody and if he did, he apologizes."

Tegeler said Burk will abide by any punishment the district picks. "We have no intention of fighting anything," Tegeler said.

Hunter, who reported Burk to the administration, wants Burk fired.

"If he wants to talk about a poor place to put our tax dollars, I think his salary is a poor place to put our tax dollars," said Hunter, who is gay.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1821529,CST-NWS-teacher13.article

You allegedly say the words "black fags" and you did not want to intentionally offend anybody? What would you say if you were INTENTIONALLY trying to offend them?

...in his classroom, he was safe.

As a former teacher, I am ashamed and dismayed.

Cuz their booth teh saym, rite?

I would say you could be on to something or not.

Obviously this is just some kind of massive misunderstanding.


:sarcasm:

offending anyone..:sarcasm:

Hey, he didn't use the "N" word, and he didn't actually lynch anyone, so by modern right wing standards, he is NOT A RACIST SO DON'T CALL HIM THAT.

But I am curious who or what the teacher was referring to.

before the teacher faces punishment.

But this appears further down in the article:

Hunter said several other students have contacted him, saying Burk repeated the same phrase in all his classes.

He not only said it ONCE - bad enough - but to ALL of his classes. He must have though it was a really clever line.

Absolutely, that is so inappropriate for a teacher to use offensive slurs like that.

Skating after a single apology is only for the rich and powerful.

If it was a first offense, though, I can agree wit hthe board. Trouble is if they bend this time, I have a suspicion they'll bend next time, too.

Or black straights? :eyes:

And the school district is okay with low-rent bigots in its classrooms?! :wtf:

Although a decree would be going to far, he may nevertheless issue a warning.

It's interesting that lack of extremeness in his bigotry created an opening for you to ask the question. I suspect that he didn't exhibit uncompromising bigotry because he wanted to avoid giving the impression of being emotionally disturbed. Such an impression would have distracted other bigots from his message and made them focus instead on the messenger. Unfortunately for him, less extreme bigotry puts him in the position of having to, figuratively speaking, justify a claim about exactly how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

Not only that he got a slap on the wrist, but because the coward initially spoke through his lawyer. And his lawyer claims he didn't know what his client said?

What a bunch of bullshit that a guy both racist and homophobic is teaching kids.

https://www.geneva304.org/ghs/ Administration

https://www.geneva304.org/ghs/ Staff

what a wonderful little town....

and the big event in town every year is "sweden days".

yeah- it's kinda white.

We now have a Democratic congressman who although a moderate is a welcome relief from buffoon Hastert. Obama lost Geneva Township to McCain by 6 votes. This town, much like the district, is trending less and less red. I agree that it is still very white but things are gradually changing and it is actually a very nice place to live.

But getting a bit crowded. I'm one district to the east...near Woodfield and I worked to help Bill Foster win the special and then general election. He was the first Democrat to serve that district in memory and is a big improvement over Gym Teach Denny.

When I moved into this area in the early 80s it was as crimson red as one could get. One year my wife and I went to vote in a primary in Bartlett and there wasn't even a Democratic booth set up. The judge told me..."we don't get too many of you around here". Now I'm totally blue...top to bottom...from President to state rep. All it took was getting out and knocking on doors and talking to people. I doesn't hurt that a lot of city kids like me have moved further and further out. Here's hoping for a very blue Geneva in the near future...and St. Charles and Geneva as well. We'll leave Elgin to the GOOP. LOL.

I live there..and was surprised that it went for Obama by 52%.

In my experience with Illinois suburbs, the farther west you go, the more red it gets.

I don't much like the 'burbs anyway..Were it up to me, I'd be in Chicago full time.

Used to hang out at Bangs Lake as a crazy kid. Had dinner last night with a friend who lives there. I wasn't super surprised at how well President Obama did this way...being the "hometown favorite" as well as a rushpublican party that is in disarray. We have more Paulbots around here than "regulars" and their party statewide, as I'm sure you know...is a joke. They've written off going after Melissa Bean now and found a guy to run only because he could self fund.

This isn't the same GOOP that was run by Pate Philip...the "anti-Daley"...the boss of DuPage. In fact the state rep was a rushpublican who switched to Democrat and then beat a 25 year incumbent. We saw people wanted change and a combination of rushpublican scandals and a strong committment from the DNC and state party helped turn things around here.

I was born in the city and have moved west ever since...until I got to Iowa...that was too far west. While I love the verve and groove of the city and it's awesome history, but I also enjoy my privacy here in Pleasant Valley Sunday. Also, this area was a great place to raise kids. Sadly Chicago, especially in the 90s, wasn't very child friendly.

Cheers...

Yes, I see you do know the place!..I live about a block from Bangs Lake, been here abut six years.

The place is still conservative in many ways...There were LOTS of McCain signs around during the election, and I think I saw only one for Obama. Recently, a democratic friend of mine was collecting signatures for the 2010 elections around the Jewell..She said she got a LOT of hostile, racist responses.

I credit the "new people" in Wauconda with putting Obama over the top. The new people tend, unfortunately, to be the better educated living in the expensive townhouses and new developments...I say "unfortunately, because I come from a working class family myself, but they were solid, pro-union liberals..I feel bad, both for and about, blue collar folk who vote against their own interests.

In any case, I can imagine why you moved out of the city..If I had kids, I would do the same..For better or for worse, my SO and I are childless, so we didn't have that consideration.

Good to hear from you!

It's something...I've been on DU since almost the beginning and have yet to meet another Chicago area DUer...but we're here.

I've noticed a lot of "libertarians" and Paulbots in our area in recent years. When we canvassed in '08 we saw the number of registered rushpublicans drop but the "independents" rise and most of them were former booosh voters who claimed to be "true conservatives". Yep, they're as racist here as they are anywhere but also so arrogant and obnoxious they hurt their own causes.

It is sad that people vote against their interests but I see that as a reflection of the influence of corporate media...playing the "American exceptionalism" card for decades that has been anti-union as well as fostering hatred and discrimination against minorities. They've drunk the kool-aid for so long and are so caught up in hypocrisies and selfishness, dare I say, they deserve to be bitter and on the outside.

Keep the faith and know you're definitely not alone out here.

Cheers...

Just a thought..You say that you have never met another Chicago area DUer-- Have you been to the Illinois Forum?...Chicago area DUers have occasional get-togethers at the Goose Island Pub.

It's in Chicago, but a great place, because it's in a large strip-mall so there is always free parking (You know what parking in the city is like)..so it's a real plus..Pluse they serve all kinds of micro-brew beers, if you like beer.

Check them out...I hope to see you there sometime!


P.S. I am in complete agreement with you on the impact of the Conservative Media..It appeared like a Monster in waiting after the Fairness Doctrine was killed off during the Reagan years. I think we need we need media reform badly.

The problem in navigating DU is that I only pop in there once in a while. I'm familiar with the Goose Island get togethers but they're usually at an inconvenient time...happy hours that is the worst time to travel into the city from here. I know they've talked about a suburban get-together and that would work a lot better for me. Overall, I'm not the bar type...I prefer restauratns or a more quiet setting.

I worked with the Fairness Doctrines when I ran some local radio stations during those days...but that isn't the root cause of today's media and radio messes. It's "deregulation" that let large chains and corporates buy up stations and markets and dominate it with cheaper satellite programming...eliminating local voices and replacing them with right wing blow hards. 20 years ago there were local news operations at stations in Aurora, Elgin, Geneva, Crystal Lake and Arlington Heights. Today they're all gone. Just repeater radio...and poor selection at that. Some of us are working on an alternative...low power and community broadcasting as the equalizer.

Cheers...

:puke:

his commitment to public education.

If Mr. Burk does not like Afro-American gay people I suggest he not become one.

In slamming black folks, gay folks, and artist folks, Burk greatly betrayed the spirit of his responsibility to young folks like the ones who attend that Illinois high school which is paid for in large part by tax dollars by U.S. citizen folks in that State and County who in this case might profitably be asked if they want their tax dollars going to public schools on whose staffs are overt bigots.

Schools across the country are failing, but this one can pay to have a teacher teach some bullshit class called Consumer Education. Wonderful.

I see he's using the "Golly, I'm sorry if anyone was offended" bullshit. Fuck off, Burk, and get a real job like the rest of us.

your credit cards on time.

The world is fucked when we teach kids how
to be consumers and we fail even at that.

At least here in Wisconsin it is.

It's more than how to get the best deal at the store. Would you prefer students left school without knowing anything about personal finances, credit dangers, media awareness, budgets, and general consumer savvy?

There's no way I'd have my kids in his class, warning or no warning.

He needs to be out of education, much the same as a doctor who believes only some people are worthy of being healed should be out of medicine.