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Joe Quigley - Davis says NO


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The following are emails from Joe Quigley
(Posted 9-4-02)

I have received a reply to my ranting rquest for a Gay And Lesbian History Month display.

(heading)
I have spoken with (name) chair of the Social Studies Department, about your request for a Gay and Lesbian History Celebration (I thought I had asked for permission for a display). He will let me know the results of the inquiry of his department members by September 10 and I will inform you at that time (remember, as was pointed out by the chair as he questioned the motivation of this deflection of decision making, most of the social studies department are coaches who do not have a history of pro-gay attitudes. So the no-brainer is there will be no favorable decision and the principal can say he was supportive, but got no support himself. Let's have the Klan plan whether or not we should honor black history month).
As I suggested last year you can work with them to have a department wide effort. However, I am denying your request to set one up in your classroom (he is convinced, or has at least passed on his "concern" that there will be some sort of carnivalesque event in my room if I were to be allowed a display, but in my request, I listed a list of names and some books. This would make for a pretty boring carnival, but that is only my opinion) and I am specifically directing you not to have posters, displays, etc. in your classroom or on the walls, doors or windows (Gay teacher loses academic freedom. Anyone give a crap?). I am aware that the American Federation of Teachers has some resolution about this and perhaps the local chapter, The Oklahoma City Federation of Teachers could take notice of your request and get involved in some way (he will include anyone to deflect blame for his bigotry.).
A solution to your concern would be to use the community bulletin board generously donated to the school for that purpose ( No it wasn't. This is fabrication and a total misrepresentation of the mediation agreement. But his is on the side of righhteousness, and as we all have experienced, when it comes to keeping us down, lying becomes very "christian"). You can post notices of community events, which will highlight the celebrations, and have students or staff persons know what they are welcome to attend ( again, if anyone is paying attention, this is reference to going to things OFF CAMPUS, a disadvantage based on the sexual orientation of students as straight students have events on campus). The september 10 notification would be in time for you to place notices on the bulletin board for open house.
Thank you for your compliance with this directive.

I replied as follows.

(heading)
I have received your memo of 09/04/02
Last year your response to a similar request was the same as this year, suggesting that the social studies department take charge of any Gay And Lesbian History Month display
At that time I spoke to members of the department, as well as the chair, and ascertained that they had never expressed an interest in such a display, nor had they in recent memory expressed a desire to, nor actually done anything of this nature.

So your referral to the social studies department is confusing and questionable

It was also pointed out to me that such displays for other months such as Black History Month, Asian Heritage Month, Women In History Month etc. were never referred to them as Gay And Lesbian History Month has been.

Will these months mentioned above be so referred, or is this treatment unique to Gay and Lesbian History Month?

Certainly you are not reserving this treatment solely to Gay and Lesbian History Month.

Also, as  the impression is that you are making this referral to the social studies department as it is of an historical nature, would it not make perfect sense for the English department to have a display of Gay and Lesbian literary figures if members of that department so choose?

Perhaps it would also be of benefit to me to clarify why when the addendum to Paragraph J of the Faculty Handbook states that "teachers shall request AND RECEIVE permission" I requested yet did not receive the permission as stated I would in the addendum.

He replied with xerox copies of the last memo and the addendum to Paragraph J with irrelevant highlighting and no explanation.

joe

 

 

    ONE OF THE GREATEST STRENGTHS IN A DOMOCRACY SUCH AS OURS, BASED ON A CONSTITUTION SUCH AS THE ONE WE HAVE IS ACADEMIC FREEDOM. FOR IT IS ONLY THROUGH THE FREE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, NO MATTER HOW UNPOPULAR TO THE MAJORITY THAT STUDENTS CAN ARRIVED AT INFORMED OPINIONS AND THE DECISIONS NECESSARY TO SURVIVE AND EXPERIENCE SUCCESS IN THE MODERN WORLD. IT IS AN ABOMINATION TO CURTAIL ACADEMIC FREEDOM FOR  FEAR THAT SOMEONE SOMEWHERE MIGHT COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING. IF THIS WERE THE BENCHMARK BY WHICH WE MEASURED WHAT COULD BE TAUGHT, THEN WE WOULD TEACH NOTHING.
    UNLESS WE WANT STUDENTS TO BE MINDLESS AUTOMATONS WE MUST ALLOW ACADEMIC FREEDOM. TO DO OTHERWISE IS A BETRAYAL OF THE VERY PEOPLE WE PRETEND TO HAVE THE BEST INTERESTS OF.
THE PRINCIPAL OF NWCLASSEN HAS FORBIDDEN ME TO HAVE ANY POSTERS, MATERIALS, OR BOOKS ON DISPLAY IN MY CLASSROOM, AND HAS FORBIDDEN ME TO SPEAK ON CERTAIN TOPICS BASED ON THE SOLE FEAR  THAT IT MAY BE GAY POSITIVE.
THE MAJORITY OPINION, RELIGION, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL BELIEFS ARE NOT ONLY GIVEN FREE REIN, BUT ARE GIVEN ADVANTAGE AND PREFERERENCE WHILE EVERY POSSIBLE STUMBLING BLOCK, NO MATTER HOW TRANSPARENT, IS THROWN UP IN THE ATTEMPT TO ELIMINATE  OPPOSING OPINION.
  KEEP'EM DUMB AND DOWN ON THE FARM IS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE SURE THERE IS A READY SUPPLY OF AN UNINFORMED AND EASILY FOOLED POPULACE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO COMPRISE A SELF SERVING POWER STRUCTURE.
    TO TELL A TEACHER THAT ONE PARTICULAR TOPIC, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO A MINORITY OF THE STUDENT BODY, IS ABSOLUTELY AND BLANKETEDLY FORBIDDEN IS TO IGNORE THE NEEDS OF A WHOLE CLASS OF  THE STUDENT BODY.
   FURTHER, TO BE SO INSULTING AS TO ATTEMPT TO GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF BEING INCLUSIVE WHILE DOING SO UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES CREATED TO ACTUALLY CURTAIL AND PREVENT INCLUSION IS AN INSULT TO THE VERY EDUCATION SYSTEM AND BELIEFS  WHICH THESE STUDENTS MUST BY LAW ATTEND, BUT EVEN SO TOWARD THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES.
    I AM BEING DENIED ACADEMIC FREEDOM SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE FEAR THAT SOMEONE MIGHT COMPLAIN ABOUT GAY POSITIVE INFORMATION, WHILE ALLOWING THE FREE EXCHANGE OF DEMEANING MISINFORMATION, AND ALLOWING THOSE WHO SPREAD IT FREEDOM TO DO SO.
    YET THE DISTRICT DOES NOTHING BUT PROTECT THIS ACTION.
WHAT A BETRAYAL. WHAT AN ABOMINATION.
I DEMAND ACADEMIC FREEDOM. IF THE PRINCIPAL DOES NOT LIKE THE GAY POSITIVE ASPECT OF WHAT I PRESENT, HE HAS THE ACADEMIC FREEDOM TO PRESENT THE OPPOSING SIDE. BUT TO PREVENT THIS INFORMATION IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE MAJORITY AND JEOPARDIZE THE MINORIY IS A TRAVESTY.
JOE Q

 

 

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