Canada Journal – News of the World Articles and videos to bring you the biggest Canadian news stories from across the country every day
A fifth-grade teacher in Ohio says she was fired for publicly shaming a school bully.
Nicole LeMire was a teacher at Glen Oak Elementary School in Olentangy, Ohio, for 14 years. She learned last month that a student was sneezing on other kids and using inappropriate language, so she confronted him about it, WCMH-TV reported.
“I said, ‘Do you know how your actions and your words are hurting other students and your friends?’ That’s it,” LeMire said.
But members of the school board say there’s more to the story.
School officials said LeMire asked other students in her class to take turns saying how “Student A” violated the rule and why he was annoying or didn’t have any friends. Board members said LeMire didn’t let the boy defend himself while his classmates voiced their complaints.
And that, school officials said, constituted “public humiliation.”
LeMire was placed on paid administrative leave; on Thursday, school board members voted to fire her.
The much beloved teacher didn’t leave without a fight, though. Students from years past showed up in her defense and locals voiced their frustrations at the meeting.
“I’m embarrassed to live in this district,” one woman shouted.
Marsha Seymour, one of LeMire’s friends and colleagues, called her “a natural-born educator. She truly has the child’s best interest in mind, no matter what.”
One student described LeMire as “the very most impactful teacher I have ever had.”
Despite LeMire’s popularity, however, school officials stood by their decision but declined to comment further.
LeMire plans to pursue legal action. Her future plans are unclear.
Agencies/Canadajournal
Wow. You know how common public shaming was in my elementary school days? Teacher would make you stick gum on your nose and wear it if you were caught chewing it or read passed notes out loud or sometimes administer corporal punishment too in full view. I guess the bully’s feelings are more important than the victim’s. I feel for the teacher.
I am beyond the point of being incredulous about the ridiculous heights that political correctness has risen. Once again, however, I ask where has commonsense gone? Also missing is the lack of guts our officials have too long been shown to exhibit. I don’t know which is worse. The school officials display the manner of reaction that plagues our society at so many levels. Rather than adopt a firm stance against the unacceptable actions of the bully and back up the positive response of the teacher to the offender, the school administration prefers to recognize the so called rights of the budding sociopath they currently have on their hands; not to mention the deplorable manner the parents are bringing up their offspring. The family needs to be shown some lessons in social norms. No wonder the number of nutcases and fruitcakes is proliferating so rapidly in this phony environment of political correctness. Shame on the school administration and shame on the parents of the offender. Shame on their ignorance of the growing long term effects of their errors which allow more and more bad people to get away with because of the paucity of our leaders in charge to even recognize it and really speak out. I am mad as hell now, but frustrated in knowing I am but a voice in the wilderness.