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Sam
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 8832
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 Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:03 pm Post subject: Fatty can't teach |
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| Quote: | A math teacher has sued the Lawrence School District, claiming that he lost his shot at tenure and ultimately his job because of his weight.
The teacher, Michael D. Frank, who is 6-foot-4, weighed 325 when he was fired in May 2004 after four years of teaching seventh- grade math at the Lawrence Middle School, according to the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.
Despite more than a dozen "overwhelmingly positive" reviews from four supervisors over the years, he said his fortunes changed abruptly in February 2003.
That's when the assistant superintendent for curriculum who was evaluating him for tenure observed his class. She described his lessons as "well- planned" and "well-executed," according to the May 11 complaint. But she also said, "You are so big and sloppy," and that his "obesity was not conducive to learning."
"After four years of positive comments," Frank, 38, said, "I am told I am not good enough. My self-esteem is shot."
The school district's attorney declined to comment.
Frank's lawyer said that obesity is a medical condition protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act and New York State human-rights laws. Those laws make it illegal to fire someone because of a disability.
"This is a case of such open discrimination and hostility toward Michael strictly because of his weight," said Frank's attorney Andrew Goodstadt of Thompson Wigdor & Gilly in Manhattan.
After being denied tenure, Frank filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in December 2004. Nine months later, the agency agreed that there was "reasonable cause to believe" Frank was discriminated against because of his obesity.
Frank said his supervisors had supported giving him tenure. But the administrator exerted her influence and he was told he wouldn't be recommended for tenure, the complaint says.
After he informed a supervisor that he intended to speak with an attorney, he received the harshest review of his career there, the complaint says.
On May 4, 2004, he was officially notified that he wouldn't receive tenure. Two weeks later he was fired.
To make matters worse, another district who wanted to hire Frank backed off after an unfavorable reference from Lawrence, the complaint says.
Frank now teaches in Queens, earning substantially less money, his lawyer said.
If he prevails in a jury trial he could be awarded millions of dollars in compensatory, punitive and economic damage awards, his lawyer said. A court date has not been scheduled.
http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-b...,2037251.story |
This assistant superintendant sure sounds like a real winner. "Sure, I know your lesson plans are certifiably both well-planed AND well-executed, but I am having you fired because I know you can't teach while consuming glazed hams whole, which is something I'm pretty sure you fat people have to do like all the fucking time. So it's like we're paying you for not working. Rite?"
The district is hosed, legally. |
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Kilgore
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 2827
Location: Portland, Or
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| Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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Hopefully the asst. superintendent loses his job. It's not like we've got a surplus of good math teachers in this country, that we can afford to get rid of the one's with less than idea BMI's.
Dumb dumb dumb.
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"Whatever afflicts thee, their asses I shall kick"
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maniac_wolfman
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 628
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| Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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That's weightcist!
Is that a word? Well, it's a word now.
What do you have to do to teach math? Sit and talk?
Until somebody gets so big they take up so much classroom space that students can no longer squeeze into the room, nobody will be too fat to teach. |
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Major Tom
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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is a massive indiscretion
and a huge miscarriage of justice |
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Sam
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 8832
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| Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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| We must endeavor not to remain obesequious in the face of such tyrrany! |
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Major Tom
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 7562
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| Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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i hope the district not only pays the hefty fine but learns a lesson...
...if they don't learn, this man's emotional burden will be greatly waisted. |
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The Victim Here
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 2816
Location: Almost Not Trinity.
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| Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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If fatty can't teach...does that mean fatty can't learn either?
Or that fatty teaches gym?
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Desire
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 542
Location: AK
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| Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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My sixth grade teacher was huge. He broke two chairs the year I had him. He was also one of the nicest and most interesting teachers I ever had. And when I met him again years later on the street, he actually remembered me. And thankfully was still teaching since that is what he loves. 
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BoySetsFire
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 374
Location: Rex Kwan Doe enthusiast
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| Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Major Tom wrote: | i hope the district not only pays the hefty fine but learns a lesson...
...if they don't learn, this man's emotional burden will be greatly waisted. |
| Major Tom wrote: | is a massive indiscretion
and a huge miscarriage of justice |
god damnit tom, when are we going to BONE?
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Natashabi
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 390
Location: Tejas
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| Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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I just thought I would add an anecdote from my mother's college years.
She had been planning on being a history teacher. Some of the other girls in the teaching program used to tease her because she had large breasts. She could never be a teacher, they said, because whenever she wrote on the blackboard, she would erase it.
Cruel girls.
Not that this ever proved true.
She never did become a history teacher, although she did teach Spanish for a semester. |
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Lasairfiona
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 9607
Location: I have to be somewhere? ::runs around frantically::
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| Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 11:50 pm Post subject: |
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Who the hell fires someone who is doing a great job? Boy that doesn't make sense. Not to mention that schools shouldn't be able to even think about discriminating against weight until they have the moral high ground ie when school offer healthy foods for lunch. Damnit, good math teachers are hard to find. Hell, finding teachers who love what they are doing are sometimes hard to find. ::sighs::
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Before God created Las he pondered on all the aspects a woman might have, he considered which ones would look good super-inflated and which ones to leave alone.
After much deliberation he gave her a giant comfort zone. - Michael |
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Kilgore
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 2827
Location: Portland, Or
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| Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:02 am Post subject: |
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| Natashabi wrote: | I just thought I would add an anecdote from my mother's college years.
She had been planning on being a history teacher. Some of the other girls in the teaching program used to tease her because she had large breasts. She could never be a teacher, they said, because whenever she wrote on the blackboard, she would erase it.
Cruel girls.
Not that this ever proved true.
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I'm probably terrible for saying this, but that's actually kind of funny.
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"Whatever afflicts thee, their asses I shall kick"
-Slick |
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jwing
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 2089
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| Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:21 am Post subject: |
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| Lasairfiona wrote: | | Who the hell fires someone who is doing a great job? Boy that doesn't make sense. |
One of my friends was laid off the same week he earned a million dollars for the company. It didn't make sense. Still doesn't. |
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Darqcyde
Joined: 11 Jul 2006
Posts: 9084
Location: A false vacuum abiding in ignorance.
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| Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:50 am Post subject: Re: Fatty can't teach |
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| Sam wrote: |
The district is hosed, legally. |
Kinda. You can't actually sue the district itself, but he will be able to sue all the administration as individuals. I'd put money that that assistant superintendant is going to be looking for new employment soon.
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Last edited by Darqcyde on Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:53 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Natashabi
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 390
Location: Tejas
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| Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:50 am Post subject: |
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| Kilgore wrote: | | Natashabi wrote: | I just thought I would add an anecdote from my mother's college years.
She had been planning on being a history teacher. Some of the other girls in the teaching program used to tease her because she had large breasts. She could never be a teacher, they said, because whenever she wrote on the blackboard, she would erase it.
Cruel girls.
Not that this ever proved true.
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I'm probably terrible for saying this, but that's actually kind of funny. |
No worries. I think it's hilarious. |
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