[Update- 5/22/12] Teacher, Tanya Dixon-Neely, finally suspended, but with pay.
[Update] BG says apparently the teacher's name is Tanya Dixon-Neely.
Alternative Suspension Coordinator
NC Teaching Certification-Social Studies 9-12
H/T to @SpreadButter who retweeted @OBAMAHASTOGO
The video below where the camera faces the ceiling but the audio is clear as can be of a discussion where a North Rowan High School teacher is discussing Mitt Romney and accusing him of bullying a student back in 1965 and a couple students bring up the stories recently circulated about Obama bullying someone and the teachers not only refuses to let them discuss that but yells at the kids for bringing it up.
First a kid asked the teacher, "didn't Obama bully" someone, the teacher says "not to my knowledge", then another kid explains that in high school Obama admitted to bullying and the teachers starts reprimanding the kid for bringing it up.
The kid speaks up for himself saying "if you are gonna trash Romney" and the teachers cuts him off screaming "STOP, NO, there is no comparison. He [Romney] is running for president, Obama IS the president."
The brave kid maintains "it is still the same concept" and the teachers says "no it isn't". The kid continues, "if you are going to talk trash about one side, you gotta talk trash about the other."
LISTEN to the whole exchange:
These are the people teacher our nation's kids. Teachers who refuse to allow a free exchange of ideas if those ideas do not coincide with their own.
This video has stirred some debate especially when the teacher lies to the student to shut him up by telling him that by speaking ill of Obama can get the kid arrested.
[Update] Later in the video the kid told the teacher that when Bush was president people talked sh*t about him and the teacher responds "because he was sh*tty."
Rowan-Salisbury spokeswoman Rita Foil confirmed the teacher is still employed with the district and has not been suspended for disciplinary reasons. Foil emailed this statement to a Post reporter Friday on behalf of the school system:
“The Rowan-Salisbury School System expects all students and employees to be respectful in the school environment and for all teachers to maintain their professionalism in the classroom. This incident should serve as an education for all teachers to stop and reflect on their interaction with students.
“Due to personnel and student confidentiality, we cannot discuss the matter publicly.”
Timothy Rogers says he is the father of the student heard in the video, Facebook page here, his comment below:
I'm the father of this student. My son and two other students in this class have been attacked daily from this teacher, and the rest of the class, for their conservative political views since the beginning of this semester. I told him to stay out of the political conversations, but she said that if he didn't participate he would receive a bad grade. This teacher is politically ignorant! I teach my sons to respect other peoples political opinion, but she has no right shoving her opinions down his throat! Since this day I have had to remove him from North Rowan High School and am going to enroll him at RCCC to finish his education. I am outraged that she can conduct herself in such an unprofessional manner and receive no disciplinary action. THIS IS NOT OVER! I will attempt to contact Rush Limbaugh this week.
According to Breitbart, the student asked his friend to shoot the video to "prove to his parents what he has been trying to tell them for some time. The teacher in this video has a long history of pushing a liberal agenda, by shouting down students. She is very intolerant of other points of view that she does not share. The atmosphere at this school is not very conducive to opposing views."
[Update] Email from reader, Dan:
A 1998 photo of Ms. Dixon-Nealy:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1734&dat= 19880616&id=rX0cAAAAIBAJ&sjid= _1EEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2892,5676277
The Facebook page of the Superintendent. Who must understand she is employing a BULLY!
https://www.facebook.com/judy.grissom.7
School contact information below:
North Rowan High School
300 N Whitehead Ave
Spencer, NC 28159
PHONE: (704) 636-4420
FAX: (704) 639-3033