Reinstate Mr. Thomas Leahy

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This discussion topic has been automatically created of petition Reinstate Mr. Thomas Leahy.


Guest

#226

2015-11-06 03:43

To reinforce to the school board the importance of EVERY WORD IN IT.

Guest

#227

2015-11-06 04:03

To many parents out there trying to shield there babies. There babies see more on tv or experience it at HOME than the little video that was on you tube that the kids probably already seen.

Guest

#228

2015-11-06 04:37

I am grandfather and great-grandfather. If any of my young ones came to me with the story of these videos, I would have them tell me about it. The video/movies. And ask what they learned. If they learned something positive from the experience, then that would be fine. If not, then I would go to the instructor and demand that he/she come up with a curriculum that would prepare the child for the viewing that would TEACH them what bigotry, prejudice and ignorance of hate's effects can do. I've seen too much of what Mr. Leahy was trying teach against acted out in real life Not something pleasant to witness.
Guest

#229 Re:

2015-11-06 05:01

#224: Gail Renner Fisher -  

 You could not have stated this any better!  Conway Springs IS better than this and I believe it will show on Monday.

 

-CSHS Alumni


Guest

#230 Re:

2015-11-06 05:02

#224: Gail Renner Fisher -  

 A better statement could not have been made. It is the school boards decision, not Clay Murphy's. I wish some of them would man up and admit that they jumped the gun and made a huge mistake. I don't think they ever expected Tom to stand up for himself, or that he had so much support.

 


Guest

#231

2015-11-06 05:28

We need more teachers who will stand up for students who identify with the LGBTQ community. These kids have it hard enough, don't make them feel like less of human beings.

Guest

#232

2015-11-06 05:55

I signed because it's the right thing to do. Our young people are being bullied and taking their own lives. Mr. Leahy, although, yes he should have gotten it cleared, had all the right intentions and getting students to talk about bullying and how their actions effect others, can very well safe a life or two. We need to think outside the box and that's what Mr. Leahy did.


Guest

#233

2015-11-06 06:53

Any educator who loses his job over showing a video aimed at fixing a problem such as this...a video that seeks to instill empathy into those who might otherwise choose to victimize...a video with the sheer message of compassion and understanding...THAT educator was a hero. A martyr within the profession.

Any district that would strip someone of their position as educator for showing this film, is a district that should be ashamed. What is that district seeking to promote? How can reasonable people seek to fire someone for attempting to inspire positive change? And YES, no matter what you believe about homosexuality, being empathetic and compassionate...choosing the path that doesn't bully or ruin lives...THAT is a path of positive change.

I can't see how any decent being would have a problem with this video. I can understand that there may be some consequences involved due to the push back from the parents. (Although, I would be ashamed to be one of those parents.) But, for him to lose his job when he was CLEARLY taking the path of wisdom and compassion...that is beyond wrong. He was brave enough and cared enough to make an attempt to make a difference. Conway Springs should be so ashamed. I am sincerely glad I don't have students there...or I would choose to remove them.

To his gay students, or those with homosexual friends and family members, this teacher will forever be a hero. And the school district will forever be a disappointing failure.

I pray that reason will be found and win out. We NEED educators who will stand in the storm and seek to shield those that need shielding the most. We NEED people who are brave enough to do what is right for their students. And turning a blind eye to discrimination helps no one. The bullied spiral into a deeper feeling of insignificance and desperation, and the bullies grow into uglier and more dysfunctional creatures. SOMEONE must stand up and say, "Hey, you don't have to agree with everyone else, but you DO need to show them some respect. And MAYBE if you can put yourselves in their shoes for just a few minutes, you can choose to relate to them in a more appropriate and PRODUCTIVE way." And isn't that what we're here for? We teach to make the world a better place one student and one act at a time...

Guest

#234

2015-11-06 06:56

No one ever deserves to be bullied! That's the problem that most adults don't want to get involved nor do they set good examples of how a young person should act to someone that they consider as being "different ". We all need to be treated as equals and treat each other with respect!! This is what this teacher was trying to do and yet people want him fired? Parents start setting GOOD examples for your kids and teach them that it's fine to be different & they need to accept people as they are!!!!

Guest

#235

2015-11-06 07:06

Let's spread more understanding, less hatred, and more openminded perspective, we need more love and less hate in this world! I applaud what this teacher did!

Guest

#236

2015-11-06 07:12

I signed this petition because when my child was being bullied at our junior high school, the teachers and principal were of no help and had no clue that they had any responsibility to defend those who were being bullied or make any attempt to end the culture of bullying in their school. This is NOT acceptable, and what this teacher in Kansas attempted to help his students understand was actually a heroic act. I wish he worked in our school district.

Guest

#237

2015-11-06 07:45

Our youth have become too comfortable being disrespectful. Having an authority figure dispute what they believe to be acceptable is a wonderful thing. The best we can do for the younger generation is to reteach them the value of human life. To treat themselves and others with respect. To challenge hatred. Conflict resolution. How to be open to new ideas. Explore possibilities. Most of all...think about how they can change their own world!

Guest

#238

2015-11-06 08:08

To me Mr Leahy is faceing real issues in all our communities today. Around our wonderful planet every day in many towns and cities young people are bullied for all sorts of reasons including be part of a minority group or realising there sexual preference is gay/transexual.
I applaud Mr Leahy who spotted the issues and dealt with them to open the minds of his students to the issues and repecussions of bullying/suicide/low self esteem. The parents should be thanking him not this.
Be better people than this please.

Guest

#239

2015-11-06 08:11

Although this teacher may not have followed exact procedure, I believe he demonstrated that he wishes to give our younger people an educational lesson that matters in their everyday lives. This educational lesson is to treat other humans with respect and dignity, life skills the students in his class were clearly lacking in. Given the class is Social Studies, this film is the perfect example of the type of material that needs to be presented.
Marisa Bolin

#240

2015-11-06 09:21

Though he should have warned what was to come in the video, I think his heart was in the right place. Punish him for not aquiring permission slips, not for spreading tolerence and anti-bullying. That offence is not worthy of this kind of punishment. If he does resign, I hope he comes to Oklahoma and becomes a teacher. We need someone like him here.

Marisa Bolin

#241 Re:

2015-11-06 09:24

#236: -  

 Right on. Being a bully victom of the same circumstances, I commend you. Thank you for being in your child's life.


Guest

#242

2015-11-06 09:41

This is a great problem and kids should learn what they really are doing towards LGBT people
Ben
Guest

#243

2015-11-06 10:24

I signed the petition, because I am a hidden LGBT student, who has gone through similar experiences. Homosexuality was called a disease, sin, disgusting, and other words I don`t want to repeat. In these situations, I wished I had a teacher who would have said anything to make them stop. But I did not have a teacher like Mr. Thomas Leahy, so it all ended up with me being at home crying.


Guest

#244

2015-11-06 10:26

Teaching kids not to bully others and what consequences bullying can have should be praised not punished.

Guest

#245

2015-11-06 12:31

He may have skipped a step or two, but his intention are good. We need to stop showing kids homophobia is acceptable.

Guest

#246

2015-11-06 12:41

I'm not gay myself, but have several friends who are LGBT, many of whom go to church, so claiming it's a religious right to bully and discriminate won't excuse this either...plus in the Bible, and I mention this because it's Kansas where this school board is, Jesus said there were only two important commandments, Love God and Love one another.  Those kids weren't doing that, therefore he was teaching Biblical Principles, which, although illegal in today's society...you should be proud of, being in the Bible Belt.


Guest

#247

2015-11-06 13:01

The video that was shown sad and portrays so much truth but I can't imagine making a teacher resign over it. Kids need to understand that bullying is NOT okay regardless of the sexual orientation and/or religion of the person doing the bullying. This could easily have been shown as straight kids bullying the gay kid or associated with Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or any other beliefs or religion for that matter. Would these parents have been upset then? What the outcome of showing this video is now showing is that it's okay to be a bully as these parents are getting their way by bullying this teacher out of his job. You never know if this video saved someones life or made a student think twice about how they've been treating someone. We as parents should be thankful there are teachers out there that are willing to stand up for what is right and help teach this concept to our children as well. There are too many people out there any more who just brush the bullying under the rug or deny that it's even happening. We need more advocates like Mr Leahy!


Guest

#248

2015-11-06 13:15

Ridiculous!

Guest

#249

2015-11-06 14:00

THE BULLYING AND PERSECUTION OF LGBTQIA+ PEOPLE NEEDS TO STOP NOW! WE ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM YOU TIGHT ASS STRAIGHT PEOPLE, EXCEPT MAYBE THAT WE'RE NOT AS FREAKING HIGH STRUNG! CLAM DOWN! WE ARE HUMANS, NOT "OTHERS."

Guest

#250

2015-11-06 14:04

 Its Jane Elliot A Class Divided all over again . The day after Martin Luther King Jr was shot the teacher divided her class up and gave half brown collars. Then proceeded to discriminate against the kids with the collars. She did that activity with her THIRD graders so they could FEEL what it was like to be discriminated against. She did not lose her job she did the same activity 2 more times. Its not right that this teacher is being punished for trying to help his students see things from another point of view and teach empathy.