In Response To -OREGON STUDENT TEACHER BANNED
Principal Donald Martin,
I am a Junior at University of Oregon, from the Portland area. I read about the banning of teacher Seth Stambaugh from your school district and I would like to convey my thoughts on your action. I think it was your action that was 'inappropriate'. From late elementary school into high school I had an abundance of teachers brief the class on their marital status, the number of kids they had and even divorces they have been through. Mr. Stambaugh was asked a few questions and he responded appropriately and honestly to them. There was nothing inappropriate about his response because it reflects a law that our citizens are forced to abide--something the children will learn about very soon in class, if they don't already know. That is not my greater point. The real point I would like to make is that it is prejudiced to ban a teacher from an entire school district based on an honest, un-harmful answer such as that, especially in response to a comment directed from one parent who is likely homophobic themselves. All the schools I have attended preach equality, honesty, impartiality and respect. Your action to ban a young teacher who has devoted his professional career to education, a very noble thing, has defied all of these. Think about the real issue here, and don't spread homophobia through our school districts.
Sincerely,
-Kevin
____________________
Dear Principal Martin,
After reading the article in the Portland Mercury about the barring of student teacher Seth Stambaugh, I became outraged. As a citizen of NYC I am not directly impacted by the decision to discard Stambaugh but as a member of the LGBTQ community I am. My boyfriend was born in raised in Beaverton, where his family still resides. Having visited Beaverton numerous times, I was thoroughly impressed with the community itself and the general attitude of acceptance I felt being there. My boyfriend has always described the Beaverton school district as progressive and accepting, and felt happy to have had such a comfortable feeling being an out gay student of the district. To hear about the injustice that has just taken place in your school has drastically changed my opinion of your education system. Children's minds are a blank slate and we can teach them acceptance or hate, and by you firing Seth Stambaugh for stating the truth about his sexuality, you are promoting hate to your students. If you had enough courage to stand by Stambaugh, for him just stating the truth, you could actually make a difference in the lives of those kids and within the gay community. Let Beaverton be an example of the coming of a new age. A new age where intolerance based upon sexual orientation is non-existent. There are kids who are counting on people to do the right thing so that they can grow up to be themselves, whatever that may be. As an 18 year old college student, I have seen what intolerant in the school systems has done to people like me. It has made us feel beneath others, like we have to hide who we are just because we are "different". Well I don't see how I am much differnt than anyone else. I was a two time NY metro boxing Junior Olympic gold medalist and a contestant in the NY Golden gloves. I was a straight A Student in high school, and I am in a loving commited raltionship. Sounds like an "all-American" kid to you doesn't it? Yet still I have constantly faced battles, within school especially, to be treated fairly and like a normal kid. If only there were teachers like Seth Stambaugh at my school growing up to show kids that being gay is nothing you should have to hide, because it is normal. Then maybe I would have grown up in a much more tolerant generation. Change starts with the youth, so please Principal Martin, I am asking you to take a stand and show these kids what is right. Show them that even of if their parents are intolerant, they don't have to be. Hire back Seth Stambaugh.
Sincerely-
Jake Brodsky
____________________
Hello,
I cannot believe you are barring a teacher from working in your district simply because he stated he would marry a man. If a female teacher had said the same thing she would still have a job. This is a clear case of discrimination and I cannot tolerate it in my neighborhood.
Who do you think you are firing a man for his sexual orientation? You are sending a clear message of intolerance and outright prejudice to all the students at your school who might be gay, and not so subtly letting them know that being gay means being wrong. I shouldn't have to remind you that no less than 4 students of the LGBTQ community have recently committed suicide as a result of their schools' bigoted communities and lack of administrative efforts to stop bullying. That you would seriously fire a man in the middle of a crisis of this magnitude astounds me.
Please go fuck yourself.
Jackie Mahoney
____________________
-Kevin
____________________
Dear Principal Martin,
After reading the article in the Portland Mercury about the barring of student teacher Seth Stambaugh, I became outraged. As a citizen of NYC I am not directly impacted by the decision to discard Stambaugh but as a member of the LGBTQ community I am. My boyfriend was born in raised in Beaverton, where his family still resides. Having visited Beaverton numerous times, I was thoroughly impressed with the community itself and the general attitude of acceptance I felt being there. My boyfriend has always described the Beaverton school district as progressive and accepting, and felt happy to have had such a comfortable feeling being an out gay student of the district. To hear about the injustice that has just taken place in your school has drastically changed my opinion of your education system. Children's minds are a blank slate and we can teach them acceptance or hate, and by you firing Seth Stambaugh for stating the truth about his sexuality, you are promoting hate to your students. If you had enough courage to stand by Stambaugh, for him just stating the truth, you could actually make a difference in the lives of those kids and within the gay community. Let Beaverton be an example of the coming of a new age. A new age where intolerance based upon sexual orientation is non-existent. There are kids who are counting on people to do the right thing so that they can grow up to be themselves, whatever that may be. As an 18 year old college student, I have seen what intolerant in the school systems has done to people like me. It has made us feel beneath others, like we have to hide who we are just because we are "different". Well I don't see how I am much differnt than anyone else. I was a two time NY metro boxing Junior Olympic gold medalist and a contestant in the NY Golden gloves. I was a straight A Student in high school, and I am in a loving commited raltionship. Sounds like an "all-American" kid to you doesn't it? Yet still I have constantly faced battles, within school especially, to be treated fairly and like a normal kid. If only there were teachers like Seth Stambaugh at my school growing up to show kids that being gay is nothing you should have to hide, because it is normal. Then maybe I would have grown up in a much more tolerant generation. Change starts with the youth, so please Principal Martin, I am asking you to take a stand and show these kids what is right. Show them that even of if their parents are intolerant, they don't have to be. Hire back Seth Stambaugh.
Sincerely-
Jake Brodsky
____________________
Hello,
I cannot believe you are barring a teacher from working in your district simply because he stated he would marry a man. If a female teacher had said the same thing she would still have a job. This is a clear case of discrimination and I cannot tolerate it in my neighborhood.
Who do you think you are firing a man for his sexual orientation? You are sending a clear message of intolerance and outright prejudice to all the students at your school who might be gay, and not so subtly letting them know that being gay means being wrong. I shouldn't have to remind you that no less than 4 students of the LGBTQ community have recently committed suicide as a result of their schools' bigoted communities and lack of administrative efforts to stop bullying. That you would seriously fire a man in the middle of a crisis of this magnitude astounds me.
Please go fuck yourself.
Jackie Mahoney
____________________
Sir-
There is absolutely nothing inappropriate with a teacher answering a classroom question honestly. I'm appalled that your district would act so egregiously to address something very minor.
Open your eyes. I question for the quality of your school district - and untimely the future of this great nation.
Regards,
Ian Hampson
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