Supporters of Mitt Romney are still feeling the burn after their guy took a royal whomping in November's presidential election. Indeed many are using their campaign t-shirts as grease rags and "chore clothes." But not Samantha Pawlucy. She's aiming to get the value of that shirt back, and then some, in the form of a lawsuit against her school. The teen's family is claiming she suffered emotional damage after a teacher made remarks to her regarding her choice of political apparel.
Right now political pundits are eating this story up, and no doubt Miss Pawlucy is a sort of teen hero in the eyes of the conservatives who are tasting sour grapes a month after the election. Nonetheless, the details of this story do need attention, but not for "political" reasons.
Geometry teacher Lynette Gaymon supposedly mocked the teenager over a t-shirt she wore in class that advertised her support for the Romney-Ryan ticket. She allegedly compared the teen's campaign shirt to a "KKK outfit." The teen also claims that the teacher told her to take the shirt off and that she was "at a democratic school." She also claims the teacher encouraged other students to make fun of the shirt. While it's arguable as to whether or not the teen is telling the truth, the teacher apologized under the order of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers as well as the encouragement of a school district official. So this action alone may lead to the teen's lawsuit being a success.
If the teacher truly did these things, then yes she deserves to be punished. In no way is it acceptable for a teacher to publicly target and ridicule one of their students, and it is deplorable for a teacher to encourage other students to take part in the ridicule—especially in an era of anti-bullying agendas and the like. This has nothing to do with some imaginary "liberals versus conservatives" feud. If this teen's First Amendment rights were violated, then she deserves to have her day in court.
However, this story doesn't seem to be as much about a student being bullied by a teacher, as much as it has become a story about a mean liberal teacher oppressing a so-called conservative student. Those who are making this case about that simply have their own agendas and sour grapes. It's also being inflamed by the fact that the girl's family, who are supporters of the failed conservative presidential hopeful, was contacted by Mittens himself—and he thanked them for their support. So yes, it does seem that this lawsuit is being fueled by political contempt—especially since the teacher in question claims that she never did anything out of spite.
No word yet from the Pawlucy family on whether or not they, including Samantha, find it ironic that as conservatives they are aiming to cash in big off the taxpayer dollars that fund the school they are suing. Instead of suing the single individual who they claim violated the teen's First Amendment rights, they are in turn targeting the school—because no doubt the large amount of taxpayer dollars amount to more than what the teacher has, right? The political undertones of this case are indeed unfair—so unfair that an entire school is going to suffer the consequences of something that may or may not have even happened.
Photo: AP
Crime analyst, profiler & future criminologist Chelsea Hoffman can be found on Huffington Post or Chelsea Hoffman: Case to Case. You can follow her on Twitter @TheRealChelseaH or contact her via her personal blog. Fan the Facebook page for updates on missing persons cases, issues in civil rights and details on Chelsea's fiction works.
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Comments: 51
If the teacher truly did these things, then yes she deserves to be punished. In no way is it acceptable for a teacher to publicly target and ridicule one of their students, and it is deplorable for a teacher to encourage other students to take part in the ridicule—especially in an era of anti-bullying agendas and the like.
I agree 100% that such actions, if they did occure, have no place in society much less in our schools.
Albeit, I also believe that no one (student nor adult) should not be allowed to engage in demonstrating nor displaying political messages nor the showing of support for any political party or candidate on school grounds. Although, I fully support students in our schools being taught how our government works and how adults choose a political party and support specific candidates according to their personally held political ideology.
To me, assuming that the reports are correct, there were two wrongs in this instance, with the teacher's being the worst of the two.
Chelsea, great article!
I am, an advocate for politics and political science being taught in the upper grades, 10/11/12. However, I am opposed to those who are to young to vote being actively engaged in politics to the point of where they are spending money on campaign attire, donating to a campaign and/or deciding by virtue of personal emotion only, who is the better candidate.
Afterall, they are excluded from voting for a good reason. {i.e.} They are too young to mentally form a personal political ideology for themselves. Therefore, they are unable to fully comprehend the ideology of the candidates. That is why party affiliation courses have been formed within the two major parties. Another important factor in preparing pre adults to become responsible voters, is the addition of school cirriculum courses on politics. Such courses also help them to gradually obtain a better understanding of the American political system. Pre adults who receive such gradual educational instructions in political science, are generally better able to form their own independent political ideology by the time they are eligible to vote.
Unfortunately, most teenagers have a proclivity to approach new adventures within the adult world with excessive enthusiasm. An emotion, which for many can fade fast, leaving them confused and unprepared for the emotional highs and lows associated with political campaigns. This is the main reason that I am opposed to youths actively being involved in politics. The mental let down and associated loss of enthusiasm, can become a permanent dislike for politics in general.
For me, gradual introduction along with multiple instructional and informational courses is the way to go in introducing school age children into the adult world of politics.
No word yet from the Pawlucy family on whether or not they, including Samantha, find it ironic that as conservatives they are aiming to cash in big off the taxpayer dollars that fund the school they are suing.
As CH has pointed out here, normally liberals would be aiming to cash in for an alleged grievance. Like racism or sexism, the liberal MO is to punish the deepest pockets or highest profile available even if there is no discernible connection.
The irony is that a conservative is using the liberal play book against a liberal.
Hope this helps.
But...when gov't becomes oppressive, it needs to be opposed by any means possible...
If the teacher were white demeaning a black student, than you libertals would understand...
With that logic, it's no surprise that Obama was re-elected, Eric.
The suit against the school district will result in money moving from use in education to lawyers pockets. The damage may be great or small but regardless this never is a concern for the liberal play book.
This the irony as expressed by CH, that a conservative is possibly damaging the district by using a liberal play book strategy.
So.. with that logic, shouldn't you guys do everything "liberals" do? Like vote liberal, etc etc?
sorry if I'm not following your amazing use of reasoning...
It seems to me that a true conservative, someone who values the fiscal nature of American communities and where tax dollars are spent, would be a little perturbed at the thought of someone banking on tax dollars for something that could have been handled individually.. Of course, I understand the hypocritical POV that it's only okay when it's your side committing the robbery of taxpayer moneys.
Furthermore, the typical venom you spew on a daily basis here on Gather about "liberals" is, as usual, off mark. But you already know that. You just like being abusive to groups of people and you lack the substance to actually participate in valid exchanges. There will come a time when nobody acknowledges you, Eric, because this typical bigoted behavior is boring to not just me, but others. Then who will you rant and rave your inner hatred toward? Just a thought.
FYI -- the school never did anything wrong. The teacher did.
As you pointed out - a school system is being sued for the actions of one of its employees even though the school system was not party to the offense. A liberal teacher is being exposed to the shame and punishment treatment by a conservative victim using tactics from the liberal play book.
This is merely an explanation of your label of irony not an endorsement of any of the actions of any parties involved in the activities.
(I had a fun festivus)
If she is protected by the First Amendment, the teacher is also protected by the First Amendment... So the issue is kind of non issue.
When I was in school we had to wear uniforms. They were ugly, disgusting, and every one hated them, however incidents like this were not happening, and that was good...
If I were the teacher, I would have walked out of the classroom after seeing the young "political activist", went to the principal and asked for the removal of the Tshirt...
I am not on the teachers' side all the times, but in this case she was right. It was her class and she should be allowed to keep a certain standard.
Besides, I doubt that the girl is a good quality student... If she were, she would have had no time for politics, Right or Left...
Thinking about similarity, if she entered a court room of a judge which might have had a different political opinion with her, the judge would have asked that she change or she removed herself from the court, and she would have not dared sue for emotional distress...
The parents were the ones who should have stopped her from going to school wearing the tshirt, but this is a totally different topic...
After all, it is the teacher's classroom. To hell with an adult teacher acting like an adult.
I mean to understand the meaning of my words, obviously you can read, but understanding them is a different game...
But it is OK. America belongs to the immigrants who come here to take advantaqge of public schools, and they let the Americans run the politics and this country into the ground....
I understand your sentiments, however, the teacher did not act in the capacity of a thoughtful adult when she berated the student. Neither did she act in the capacity of a teacher in her poor handling the situation. I might add, a situation which she, not the student, created.
Further, to my knowledge, there has been no news reports thus far, which states or suggest that any violation of the school rules were breached. Therefore, the teacher overstepped her bounds and in doing so, immediately loss the argument and more than likely, the respect of any other students who were present.
Unless it is later established that the school had written rules forbidding the wearing of and/or otherwise the displaying of written or graphical political material or clothing on campus, then the teacher had no right to challenge the student on the shirt's message.
If the American students would rate among the top tier in high school for knowledge, and readiness, I would not mind, but we are far from being there...
When we start playing politics in the school system, this is what we get.
My wife and I preferred, when it was our turn, to homeschool rather than wasting time and putting our daughter's formal education in peril...
Scott, you don't understand my point. In this particular case, no part was right. As I said, if I were the teacher I would have walked out to the principal and let him or her solve the problem. But political emotions take people's brains away...
I remember a few years back, at a political rally, some smart Conservative parents decided to use their children to deliver their message. Of course they were hoodlums in the audiance who reacted in an ugly way, taking their answer to the message to the messager some fifteen year old children... Boy, was it outrage... Common sense tells some people that if they don't want to hurt their foot, they should not discharge a gun in it...
Speaking about adults using children as human shields... I thought that only Arab terrorists are doing that in the Midddle East...
The future will be the judge, jurry and executioner, because these things are not going to be forgotten...