Holocaust Denying Teacher Gets Transfer
So here in Clark County, Nevada, our school district has decided that their teachers can completely deny the facts of history in class and keep your teaching job.
Lori Sublette, a Phys Ed teacher at the Northwest Career and Technical Academy, told students in her class that the holocaust in Nazi Germany was exaggerated and that the pictures were fabrications, actually taken in Russia. Why a gym teacher was talking about world history we don’t know. Why a credentialed teacher can deny established historical fact and keep their job? We don’t know.
Now Sublette has been transferred from a premiere tech academy to Johnston Middle School in North Las Vegas. She was sent home with pay until her transfer, and now she continues her career with CCSD. I don’t think this should be allowd to stand. She has the freedom to hold any opinion she wants, but as a teacher, she has a responsibility to students and parents to stay within her expertise in class.
the Clark County School District cannot be let off the hook with a sweep and dump maneuver by simply transferring her around. I contacted CCSD to complain a week ago, and have received no response as yet.
Here is the text of my complaint to CCSD:
“My son attends SWCT, we have been looking at possibly moving and transferring him to NWCT. Your tepid response to Ms. Sublette’s egregious actions is cause for great concern. Simply transferring her to another school is not a firm enough response. Her assertions denying the truth of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany border on lunacy. It is not an area of opinion, it is a historical fact. If you do not end her tenure with the CCSD, then you will force parents and community leaders to bring an even greater national spotlight onto your failure to manage your employees and protect our children who are in your care. Please do the right thing for our children, and let Ms. Sublette go. A transfer only implies your agreement with her positions. I am hoping you can bring yourselves to make the right decision.”
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I have to disagree with you.
Why would want her fired? Do you disagree with her position (and no, I don’t agree her either) and that is why she should be fired?
Would you say the same if a teacher said they believed in global warming? How about if they said they were an athesist?
When you are in a classroom, it is difficult to keep your opinions to yourself, especially in the class she was in (she was not teaching a gym class, but another class where you have opinions)
As long as you say, “this is what I believe in” and state that is your opinion and you may be wrong and it is an approriate part of a discussion, I don’t see the problem.
So, why would you let her go? For her opinion? I have a hard time firing a person for their opinion, unless the opinion rendered presents a safety hazzard to students.
It seems like the students handled this matter quite well. They beat the teacher, they questioned her opinion and made a stink about it and it got her transferred.
I might add, there are a lot of liberal teachers out there who have wierd opinions that I disagree with. And as a conservative, i find what liberals do as obejectional, like praising Obama and lying about him. I don’t call for their firing.
Dan, I might agree with you if it were a matter of opinion, or simply a matter of my position in a debate, and not established historical fact. When you add the fact that this particular established historical fact has such a powerful impact on a whole race of people, and that it was this same kind of thinking that enabled Hitler’s massacre, it makes it more offensive. This particular class was one where she was to teach them vocational skills like how to do a good job interview. These ‘opinions’ wouldn’t get them hired!
Can you imagine if someone of a race other than black had made the same statements regarding slavery? It wasn’t as bad as we all say, it was made up for the most part, and the individual stories of human suffering were exaggerated?
When a teacher has a class, they have authority in that class, no matter the subject. When the district gives a teacher that authority, they are taking it from the parents and giving it to the teacher, just like our government. We lend our authority to the school district so that they can take and educate our children. When that authority is abused by the adult teacher in classroom full of kids chooses to LIE about history, it’s not a matter of opinion, it’s delusional. If an English teacher swore to her kids that multiplication isn’t really math, and that the times tables were made up by activists and they should think about deciding to believe that 5×5=20, then she should be fired for undermining their education.
Can she believe that? Sure. Can she share that with her students in the classroom? Absolutely not!
If Sublette had spouted off about the effects of poetry and which kinds is better than another, or which exercise is more effective, or what sports team is the best to root for, or any other area of opinion, then I see your point. But this is indisputable. Unless, you are a Nazi, a crazed Iranian president, Muslim extremist, or simply delusional. In that case, you really shouldn’t be teaching other people’s kids.
Someone who is that delusional about provable facts shouldn’t be teaching. And yes, I’m aware that means most college professors should pack it in and find another career. ; )
But, I must confess, this is all just my opinion. Thanks for the comment, and the read!