Texas teacher loses job for wearing BLM mask

[Nicky91]

https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1311255982488588294

[Oliver_W]

I can understand a school not wanting to take a political stance, but there's nothing political about saying that black lives matter.

It's a shame there's not a punchy and succinct phrase with the same meaning but unattached to any groups or movements.

[arista]

Yes Politics like that
are Wrong

[Jessica.]

Yes Politics like that
are WrongHave you ever considered that you might be the one who's wrong about this topic?

[Crimson Dynamo]

the thread title should say

Teacher claims she was sacked for wearing a BLM mask

as the school deny this claim

[bots]

blm are a political organisation. Schools have problems with kids wearing tee shirts supporting causes and have banned them, because it causes unnecessary conflict and disrupts education. Teachers have to be held to the same standards

[Crimson Dynamo]

the school has a no messages on masks policy, she was asked to stop doing it she did not and posted VS pics of her wearing it on social media

she was sacked


A good day for the pupils going forward

[user104658]

There are good reasons for this tbh that shouldn't be thrown away, for (I would have thought) obvious reasons.

e.g. nurses aren't allowed to wear various badges/pins etc. that would be considered political. To try to claim that BLM is not political is obviously nonsense.

[Kazanne]

the thread title should say

Teacher claims she was sacked for wearing a BLM mask

as the school deny this claim

I saw that too LT. how things can get twisted.

[Glenn.]

blm are a political organisation. Schools have problems with kids wearing tee shirts supporting causes and have banned them, because it causes unnecessary conflict and disrupts education. Teachers have to be held to the same standards

In what way could it possibility cause unnecessary conflict and disrupt education though?

[user104658]

In what way could it possibility cause unnecessary conflict and disrupt education though?

It's not even about what it specifically says, having messaging (any messaging) on clothing has the potential to cause various issues; schools (and many other workplaces) don't have the time or resources to consider each piece of clothing on a case-by-case basis so they have to have a blanket policy that side steps the issue - i.e. "no messaging on items of clothing". If a teacher won't comply with policy you can hardly expect her pupils to comply with policy... refusing the employer's dress code is misconduct... :shrug: there's no real way around it. If you're in employment and feel passionately against the dress code imposed by the employer that's fine, but your options are to either begrudgingly comply, find another job, OR you could try to gather support for changing the policy... but you don't just ignore it "in protest" and do whatever you want, then pretend to be surprised or outraged at being let go :umm2:. Sometimes I wonder if people have ever had jobs...

[Ammi]

...this is an interesting thing actually...because I was reading about ‘The Hatch Act’ quite recently...it’s something in the USA regarding employees/employers and what is or isn’t allowed in a work place with ‘political’...and the act states BLM related things are not classed as political so it’s an employees right to wear such things.../...which was a quite recent amendment to the act...it’ll be interesting to follow if there is anything legal with this from the employee...

[Crimson Dynamo]

its not about political its a no messages on masks policy

end of

if it says S Club 7 are scum
or Bite me

its a no

[Beso]

Rules are rules I'm afraid.

[Nicky91]

blm are a political organisation. Schools have problems with kids wearing tee shirts supporting causes and have banned them, because it causes unnecessary conflict and disrupts education. Teachers have to be held to the same standards

i have to agree with this, otherwise teachers would not set a good example for the students

[arista]

Have you ever considered that you might be the one who's wrong about this topic?



BLM is Left Wing Extreme Political

[Tom4784]

If someone gets upset over the idea that black lives matter, that person is a racist who thinks that black lives are not as important as white lives.

[arista]

If someone gets upset over the idea that black lives matter, that person is a racist who thinks that black lives are not as important as white lives.


Not it's not good for Education
BLM is Extreme Left Wing

[Redway]

Not it's not good for Education
BLM is Extreme Left Wing

Quit clowning.

[Tom4784]

Not it's not good for Education
BLM is Extreme Left Wing

Spew your propaganda to someone else.

[Jessica.]

Not it's not good for Education
BLM is Extreme Left Wing

So do you think black lives don't matter?

[arista]

Spew your propaganda to someone else.


Everyone is saying it,
it's not any propaganda.

[arista]

So do you think black lives don't matter?


Of course All people matter

But BLM is an Extreme Left wing group.


[The group’s radical Marxist agenda would supplant the
basic building block of society — the family — with the state and destroy the economic system
that has lifted more people from poverty than any other.
Black lives, and all lives, would be harmed.
Theirs is a blueprint for misery, not justice. It must be rejected.]


NY Post July 2020

[Crimson Dynamo]

Its not about that group its about messages on masks

simple rule to folow

[Jessica.]

Of course All people matter

But BLM is a Extreme Left wing group.

People say black lives matter to remind people that black people matter just as much as everyone else, that's it, the teacher implied nothing else with that mask.

[Tom4784]

Black lives matter in itself, is not a political issue, it's literally saying black lives matter.

[arista]

Black lives matter is not a political issue, it's literally saying black lives matter.


But it can be BLM Political.
Which is why she made an error to put it on
in USA Education.

[user104658]

Black lives matter is not a political issue, it's literally saying black lives matter.

It's currently the #2 issue in global sociopolitical discourse so the suggestion that it isn't a political issue is either disingenuous or misunderstands the definition of "politics". A virus "isn't political" either, except that obviously, it is.

BLM isn't party-political (thankfully it isn't, in the UK anyway) and it shouldn't be partisan either (sadly, it seemingly is, everywhere). It clearly is a political issue. I would imagine that in Texas it's more political than pretty much anywhere else in the western world.

[Tom4784]

It's currently the #2 issue in global sociopolitical discourse so the suggestion that it isn't a political issue is either disingenuous or misunderstands the definition of "politics". A virus "isn't political" either, except that obviously, it is.

BLM isn't party-political (thankfully it isn't, in the UK anyway) and it shouldn't be partisan either (sadly, it seemingly is, everywhere). It clearly is a political issue. I would imagine that in Texas it's more political than pretty much anywhere else in the western world.

Three words are three words. The phrase itself is not political and to heap anymore meaning than that onto a person wearing a mask with that written on is to make assumptions.

Neither Covid, nor the idea of black lives being equal to everyone else's should not be political issues.

[user104658]

Three words are three words. The phrase itself is not political and to heap anymore meaning than that onto a person wearing a mask with that written on is to make assumptions.

Neither Covid, nor the idea of black lives being equal to everyone else's should not be political issues.

To suggest that the phrase "black lives matter" isn't inherently linked to black rights, and that civil rights are not a political issue, is a bold stance but I doubt it's one that's likely to change in people who hold it so I'm going to do the unthinkable and just leave my point (that I think it clearly is a political issue) as it is and move on.

So the secondary point is that if the employer has a policy of no messaging of any kind on clothing, then employees either have to follow that policy, find another job that falls more in line with their values, or try to organise like-minded people in asking the employer to change the policy. Again, you don't just decide that you don't like the policy and go against it, then do shocked pikachu face when that's considered misconduct. Like I said before, I'm pretty sure anyone who has ever worked for an employer knows this. And I say that as someone who DID make the decision to drastically change employment type from an employer that was full of **** in a dodgy industry to one that falls more in line with my personal values.

[Tom4784]

To suggest that the phrase "black lives matter" isn't inherently linked to black rights, and that civil rights are not a political issue, is a bold stance but I doubt it's one that's likely to change in people who hold it so I'm going to do the unthinkable and just leave my point (that I think it clearly is a political issue) as it is and move on.

So the secondary point is that if the employer has a policy of no messaging of any kind on clothing, then employees either have to follow that policy, find another job that falls more in line with their values, or try to organise like-minded people in asking the employer to change the policy. Again, you don't just decide that you don't like the policy and go against it, then do shocked pikachu face when that's considered misconduct. Like I said before, I'm pretty sure anyone who has ever worked for an employer knows this. And I say that as someone who DID make the decision to drastically change employment type from an employer that was full of **** in a dodgy industry to one that falls more in line with my personal values.

I'm not suggesting anything about the cause, to some people black lives matter just means acknowledging they matter, to others like me, it's a civil rights issue. Both are valid.

[Denver]

Not it's not good for Education
BLM is Extreme Left Wing

I'd argue that using schools to educate how important the subject of racism is, is a very good thing

[user104658]

I'm not suggesting anything about the cause, to some people black lives matter just means acknowledging they matter, to others like me, it's a civil rights issue. Both are valid.

But on a contextless piece of clothing, how do you tell the difference? I don't even think it's necessarily a problem for it to be ambiguous but again that goes back to the "employer" issue - with a large employer, or somewhere like a school, they can't always offer a nuanced case-by-case basis and so it has to be a blanket policy or you end up tied up forever in discussions of "Well if she's allowed [X], why am I not allowed [Y]?" and it's not a University... they're there to run a basic education programme... they simply don't have time.

And that just circles back round to the second point; if you don't like your employers policy you have to accept it anyway, leave, or try to get it changed and THEN do the thing you wanted to do. You can't just say "stuff the policy, I don't like it and I think it's wrong!" and go ahead with what you want to do and then cry unfair at being fired.

[Tom4784]

Racism is a part of America's DNA, it should absolutely be taught in school that racism is a thing and the effects it has had on the US as a whole.

No country should shy away from it's past when it comes to education, people would be better educated about the world if we followed in Germany's example in how they teach their students about the World Wars. It's unflinching, it doesn't shift blame or undermine the tragedy, they teach their kids not to repeat the same mistakes.

Our education would certainly be more well rounded if we learned a less rosey and more realistic version of our own history. Many people don't even know the damage the Empire did to the world, they think it's some glorious pinnacle of British history when it should be one of our greatest shames.

[Jigs]

I understand the no message on masks policy but we should also think about who the message is harming. It contains no profanity or rude symbols/inferences. If anything, it is a mark of respect. I think that the lives and self esteems of children (in particular black children) can be totally enriched by their exposure to positive messages of support, such as BLM. I would hold the same views if it were a rainbow mask or a statement about Trans lives.

BLM might be a political group but the message is strictly identity politics. That matters.

[Tom4784]

But on a contextless piece of clothing, how do you tell the difference? I don't even think it's necessarily a problem for it to be ambiguous but again that goes back to the "employer" issue - with a large employer, or somewhere like a school, they can't always offer a nuanced case-by-case basis and so it has to be a blanket policy or you end up tied up forever in discussions of "Well if she's allowed [X], why am I not allowed [Y]?" and it's not a University... they're there to run a basic education programme... they simply don't have time.

And that just circles back round to the second point; if you don't like your employers policy you have to accept it anyway, leave, or try to get it changed and THEN do the thing you wanted to do. You can't just say "stuff the policy, I don't like it and I think it's wrong!" and go ahead with what you want to do and then cry unfair at being fired.

The policy isn't something I've commented about either way because I don't really care to. I just think that 'Black Lives Matter' shouldn't be considered 'only' a political issue.

[Cherie]

If the school has a no message policy, then it is what it says on the tin..no messages, it doesn’t matter how worthy the message, allow one, you open the door to argument to allow others, I am sure the staff have better things to do with their time then spend it discussing the merits of individual messages, the teacher was in the wrong, its hard to believe that was the reason for her sacking though

[user104658]

If the school has a no message policy, then it is what it says on the tin..no messages, it doesn’t matter how worthy the message, allow one, you open the door to argument to allow others, I am sure the staff have better things to do with their time then spend it discussing the merits of individual messages, the teacher was in the wrong, its hard to believe that was the reason for her sacking though

I suspect the reason, if it is related to this, would be that they simply asked her to wear a different mask in the first instance and she's flat out refused. Thinking back to the dark days when I had to wear a uniform, I wouldn't have been sacked if the district supervisor came in and we were all sat there in jeans, but if it kept happening despite being specifically instructed not to do it, it would probably have lead to disciplinary action. Contract almost certainly stipulates adhering to uniform policy... you sign the contract when you start... so you have to follow the uniform policy :shrug:.

[Cherie]

I suspect the reason, if it is related to this, would be that they simply asked her to wear a different mask in the first instance and she's flat out refused. Thinking back to the dark days when I had to wear a uniform, I wouldn't have been sacked if the district supervisor came in and we were all sat there in jeans, but if it kept happening despite being specifically instructed not to do it, it would probably have lead to disciplinary action. Contract almost certainly stipulates adhering to uniform policy... you sign the contract when you start... so you have to follow the uniform policy :shrug:.

There would be a protocol to follow is what I mean, ie verbal and written warnings, they couldn’t just go...get oot especially in the litigious US of A

[arista]

I'd argue that using schools to educate how important the subject of racism is, is a very good thing


Yes Education on racism is a must.

But Teachers must not have home made
BLM masks.