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WESTWOOD HEIGHTS - A high school teacher who says he was forced to resign, and who was punished for allegedly encouraging a student protest, is now accusing the district of reverse discrimination.
Steve Montle, a Hamady High School government teacher, plans to sue the Westwood Heights School District, accusing it of discrimination and violating his First Amendment free-speech rights. Montle is white. Superintendent Jerri-Lynn Williams is black.
Montle recently got a three-day unpaid suspension for his role in an April 14 student protest. He will remain on paid leave for the rest of the school year. His resignation was effective at the beginning of the 2005-06 school year.
Williams said race has nothing to do with personnel decisions, pointing out that only five of the district's 80 teachers are minorities. The five minority teachers are already tenured.
"I've had
students say the teachers are telling them that
I am prejudiced, and that I'm only firing white teachers. I'm sick of that stuff," Williams said.
Two other high school teachers - Aimee Dittenber and Margaret Green - are now back at work after being on paid leave for more than a week while the district looked into whether they also encouraged student protesters. They were issued written reprimands but were not otherwise punished. Both are white.
While there have been rumors for months about white teachers claiming reverse discrimination, Montle, through his attorney, is the first teacher to openly suggest it.
Montle and three elementary school teachers who were up for tenure resigned in April under pressure from the administration.
Montle declined to comment, but his attorney, Julie Gafkey of Frankenmuth, said race played a role in his forced resignation.
"Appropriate legal action will follow in federal court within the next week," Gafkey said. She said
she would elaborate on the race issue once the lawsuit is filed.
Board member Rebe
cca Rembert said she has not noticed racial tension in the district, and she noted that nine white teachers were given tenure.
"I don't understand where (Montle is) coming from. The whole thing saddens me," Rembert said.
Gafkey said Montle's free-speech rights were violated. On April 14, Montle spoke to the students about the resignation controversy. By that afternoon, students were protesting Montle's resignation, although Gafkey said the teacher did not encourage them to do so.
"My client did not assist them in any way," Gafkey said. "He was merely exercising his First Amendment right to talk to students about matters of public concern - about things that were discussed the night before at a Board of Education meeting."
Green said that although she wasn't punished, it feels like punishment to be away from students for more than a week. She said t
he written reprimand was vague, making her wonder what the district believes she did wrong.
"It's almost like you're convicted before you've
had your trial," Green said. "When we came back to school this week, there was this air of paranoia and cautiousness."
Green said she will try to get the reprimand removed from her personnel file.
Student D.J. Palomares, a Hamady junior, said he's glad Green and Dittenber are back, but Montle should be teaching, too.
He said he believes the teachers have been punished for being outspoken.
"They're all great teachers," he said. "And they're not just teachers, they're friends."
http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index....56202212120.xml
WESTWOOD HEIGHTS - A high school teacher who says he was forced to resign, and who was punished for allegedly encouraging a student protest, is now accusing the district of reverse discrimination.
Steve Montle, a Hamady High School government teacher, plans to sue the Westwood Heights School District, accusing it of discrimination and violating his First Amendment free-speech rights. Montle is white. Superintendent Jerri-Lynn Williams is black.
Montle recently got a three-day unpaid suspension for his role in an April 14 student protest. He will remain on paid leave for the rest of the school year. His resignation was effective at the beginning of the 2005-06 school year.
Williams said race has nothing to do with personnel decisions, pointing out that only five of the district's 80 teachers are minorities. The five minority teachers are already tenured.
"I've had
students say the teachers are telling them that
I am prejudiced, and that I'm only firing white teachers. I'm sick of that stuff," Williams said.
Two other high school teachers - Aimee Dittenber and Margaret Green - are now back at work after being on paid leave for more than a week while the district looked into whether they also encouraged student protesters. They were issued written reprimands but were not otherwise punished. Both are white.
While there have been rumors for months about white teachers claiming reverse discrimination, Montle, through his attorney, is the first teacher to openly suggest it.
Montle and three elementary school teachers who were up for tenure resigned in April under pressure from the administration.
Montle declined to comment, but his attorney, Julie Gafkey of Frankenmuth, said race played a role in his forced resignation.
"Appropriate legal action will follow in federal court within the next week," Gafkey said. She said
she would elaborate on the race issue once the lawsuit is filed.
Board member Rebe
cca Rembert said she has not noticed racial tension in the district, and she noted that nine white teachers were given tenure.
"I don't understand where (Montle is) coming from. The whole thing saddens me," Rembert said.
Gafkey said Montle's free-speech rights were violated. On April 14, Montle spoke to the students about the resignation controversy. By that afternoon, students were protesting Montle's resignation, although Gafkey said the teacher did not encourage them to do so.
"My client did not assist them in any way," Gafkey said. "He was merely exercising his First Amendment right to talk to students about matters of public concern - about things that were discussed the night before at a Board of Education meeting."
Green said that although she wasn't punished, it feels like punishment to be away from students for more than a week. She said t
he written reprimand was vague, making her wonder what the district believes she did wrong.
"It's almost like you're convicted before you've
had your trial," Green said. "When we came back to school this week, there was this air of paranoia and cautiousness."
Green said she will try to get the reprimand removed from her personnel file.
Student D.J. Palomares, a Hamady junior, said he's glad Green and Dittenber are back, but Montle should be teaching, too.
He said he believes the teachers have been punished for being outspoken.
"They're all great teachers," he said. "And they're not just teachers, they're friends."
http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index....56202212120.xml