DirectoryxCalendarxJobsxPersonal HomepagesxAIDS & Health InfoxSearchxChatxMessage Board

Support GayOKC.com! Donate here!		 Joe Quigley/NW Classen Update - Wed, Jan 9, 2002

The following is an email from Joe Quigley
(Posted 1-09-02)

   Today, a teacher came to my room unsure how to handle an incident that had
just happened. One of her students arrived late for class. He is big on
various sports teams, has the popularity that this brings, and the admiration
of his minions.
Its all part of the football/basketball jock mystique.
He is cool.
   In that same class is a smaller student with certain  mannerisms that
could be seen as effeminate which could lead someone to assume he is Gay if
all one knows of Gays are the stereotypes. He has not made any statement
concerning his own sexuality, so all there is is speculation.
   Arriving late for a class containing some of his cronies the jock was
directed to sit in his regular seat which because this is a new semester and
there were some new  students, turned out to be next to the previously
mentioned student who is new to that class..
   In a totally transparent  manner, he asked the teacher, "you want me to
sit next to the FA......", and after a theatrical pause filled by the
laughter of other members of the class, elided into, "....fa...failing
student".
   Knowing exactly what was just done, the teacher did not know if she should
jump on him for that and potentially worsen the situation, or handle it more
quietly, deciding to tell the jock he needed to see her after class.
   If the student was not Gay, could she possibly contribute to his labelling
and further harrassment by saying the wrong thing with the best of intentions?
   It was at this meeting that the jock explained he knew he had done wrong,
and that he has friends and relatives who are Gay (the old, "some of my best
friends" line that usually follows, or is followed by an obviously racist
remark).
    This student has attempted on many occasions the fine art of the
appropriate and desired apology while not changing the offending behavior,
e.g. being told to stop running down a hall, apologizing for having done so
in a very polite manner, only to resume running when he gets a short distance
from the teacher. The apology's only purpose seems to be to placatethe
correcting teacher.
    Very Eddie Haskell
  A smoke and mirrors apology that teachers have grown tired of. Apologizing
for punching someone between blows.
  But regardless of his apology to the teacher and agreement to apologize to
the student, the other student was mistreated in front of the class, and this
cannot be removed by a simple apology, sincere or otherwise.
The educational environment of the other student has become negative.
   The target of the putdown came to the teacher later very angry, and wanted
something done, but agreed to accept the jock's offer of an apology which is
going to be made later before their shared class begins.
   The teacher is still not sure this is the proper way, and is doing some
soul searching tonight.
   Other teachers are furious.
The jock wears the uniforms of the various sports, and is, therefore, a
representative of the school. His target is a student in the school he
represents.
   The classroom environment of this student is not the same as it was before
the incident, and no apology will make the event disappear in the minds of
the other students, guarantee that it will be sincere, or insure that this
will not all become part of the jock repartee later.
   Teachers I talked to do not feel he should represent the school on any
team, as he obviously does not respect certain students, nor that his apology
will have any substance to it. His apologies are too routine, too readily
delivered and too soon forgotten by himself.
   Some think it is time to review the rules on derogatory putdowns with
classes, and where possible do a lesson on bigotry.
   To me, the school should have been pro-active instead or re-active. There
have been many occasions during the last few years at NWClassen where
students were given the opportunity to learn when posters were hung putting
names and faces on Gay and Lesbian people, but before any positive results
could come of it saw the sometimes over the top negative and almost Key Stone
Kops-like actions of various administrators in response.
    Would the jock have been so free to demean this student and use a Gay
related pejorative if he had been allowed to be made aware that some of his
sports heroes were Gay, and as a Black Man see that some of his cultural
heroes were as well?
    Could this teacher  not have been able to deal with this situation more
comfortably from an informed and positive point of view, if the district had
offered the appropriate inservices that it have been requested and battled
for since MARCH 11, 1997?
   The purpose of school is to educate. But in the area of Gay and Lesbian
information there has been a provable decision to censor positive
information. And, now we have two students who may suffer because of this
homophobic censorship.
   The demeaned student has had his educational environment reduced and made
negative.
   The administration will need to deal with the jock as effectively as it
would deal with an ethnic or racial attack if it is to be true to its own
vision, mission, and non-discrimination policies and statements, and this is
problematic as the school will have to counteract the admiration of his
cronies and make sure the right message is sent so that future incidents like
this do not happen, the district does not face litigation, and students are
not led to believe this sort of activity is acceptable to the powers that be.
     The teacher was denied the information needed to deal with this
effectively, and may have inadvertantly contributed to a negative atmosphere
because, as we are on a "block schedule", the jock and his friends have 48
hours to joke, laugh, and engage in "jock-talk" before any apology is offered.
     If the school does not address this effectively, giving the appearance
of favoritism based on sports involvement, the teachers' and students'
attitudes could very well be negatively affected.
    I wrote something similar, but briefer, on this to the principal.
If you remember on August 12, 2001 as a result of a failed attempt to "get"
me on the popular charge of "willful neglect of duty" the principal presented
me with a directive that I signed in which he included the provision,
       "You are hereby directed to report to me any incidents of harassment
based on sexual orientation of which you are, or become aware."

I am awaiting a response to my note to the principal, and have given the
teacher some information to read.
The school, which may very well have prevented this, must now deal with it
effectively. Any watering down of what must be done, any favoritism shown the
jock, or any improper handling that could result in negative consequences
will be monitored.
    Where the school, and by extension the district, could have been
educational about this, it is now in a CYA situation of its own homophobic
making.

I just hope for the sake of the injured student, and also the jock, that the
administration of NWClassen does the right thing and turns the negative of
iyts own creation into something postive for the whole school community.
Perhaps the principal will now allow the inclusion of Gay and Lesbian people
as part of Diversity Week.
Joe Quigley

 

Previous postings from Joe Quigley:

 

What do you think? Post your opinion on GayOKC.com's Message Board!

 

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO FRONT PAGE

 

GayOKC.com COPYRIGHT © 1998 - 2002 ROBERT D. ABIERA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (NO, THIS IS NOT JOE QUIGLEY'S PERSONAL WEBSITE!)