Teacher’s ‘No on 74’ button spurs protest by gay parent
PORT ANGELES — A lesbian mother has started an online drive for signatures on a petition urging the Port Angeles School District to prohibit politicking by teachers after an instructor wore a “No on 74” button in her daughter’s eighth-grade classroom.
Superintendent Jane Pryne, in an emailed statement while attending a conference out of town, said the district already has a policy in place regarding politics in the classroom and that the issue has been addressed.
Port Angeles parent Cynthia Deford, whose daughter attends Steven Middle School, said she wants more to be done.
She said last week that she wants an apology and sensitivity training for teachers.
Neither Pryne nor Deford would identify the teacher after requests from the Peninsula Daily News.
Deford, in her online petition discussion, indicates that the teacher in question is male and teaches mathematics.
Deford launched an online petition at tinyurl.com/cjcgw99 on Nov. 10, saying the teacher wore the political button — urging a no vote on Referendum 74, which legalized same-sex marriage in the state — in class during the days before the Nov. 6 general election.
The button’s message was “No on 74: one man + one woman = marriage,” Deford said.
Referendum 74 won 53 percent approval statewide.
Clallam County voters rejected the measure by 53 percent. Jefferson County approved it by 64 percent.
Deford, who has a same-sex partner, said that her child, who she does not want to identify, came home after school and told her about the button worn by the teacher.
The button surprised and offended her daughter, Deford said.
Deford said she thought the teacher should have known better than to wear a political button of any kind while teaching class.
“It just shocked me that it happened here,” Deford said.
Stevens Middle School is a very good, award-winning school, she said, and her child likes it.
Her petition says: “Urge the Port Angeles School District to prohibit politicking by teachers in the K-12 classrooms. This would not affect balanced discussion of political issues in civics, history, social sciences, etc.”
Deford also writes: “My daughter lives with myself and my lesbian partner. My daughter loves me very much and we have a good family relationship.
“But [until this incident] she also thought highly of this teacher. Now she is uncomfortable with him and does not want to go back to his class.
“Now she has to worry about discrimination where she didn’t before.”
As of Saturday afternoon, 159 people had signed the petition, which says it is to be delivered to Pryne and Deford, as well as Stevens Middle School Principal Chuck Lisk and President Barack Obama.
Most of those signing the petition are from communities on the North Olympic Peninsula, but signatures also appear from California, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, Massachusetts, New York and Hawaii.
Pryne, in her email message, said she cannot comment except to say that a policy is already in place and that the district has dealt with the issue.
“I very much appreciate the concerns and input by these citizens,” Pryne wrote.
“The Port Angeles School District has both a policy and procedure that provides that employees may not campaign for a political candidate or for a political issue during school hours on school property.
“Of course, teachers have the right to engage in political activity off campus and on their own time.
“The petition here arises from an incident that has been addressed by the district,” Pryne wrote.
“Of course, I cannot comment on the specifics of this confidential matter involving employees and students.”
The district’s Procedure 5252P, Part C, directly addresses the issue:
“An employee may not campaign for a political candidate or for a political issue during school hours on school property.”
In her petition, Deford says that she is aware of the school policy but that “we are proposing that they amend their antidiscrimination policy to make it (specifically) inappropriate for teachers K-12 to politic while in class.
Deford said she hasn’t decided if she will bring the issue to the School Board.
She emphasized that she doesn’t want the teacher fired or to sue the district.
“I am asking the teacher to apologize to all of the students in his class, and for additional sensitivity training for teachers,” she said.
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Peninsula Daily News Managing Editor for News Leah Leach contributed to this report.
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The Peninsula Daily News is a media partner of KOMO News. Read the original Daily news story with comments »
Superintendent Jane Pryne, in an emailed statement while attending a conference out of town, said the district already has a policy in place regarding politics in the classroom and that the issue has been addressed.
Port Angeles parent Cynthia Deford, whose daughter attends Steven Middle School, said she wants more to be done.
She said last week that she wants an apology and sensitivity training for teachers.
Neither Pryne nor Deford would identify the teacher after requests from the Peninsula Daily News.
Deford, in her online petition discussion, indicates that the teacher in question is male and teaches mathematics.
Deford launched an online petition at tinyurl.com/cjcgw99 on Nov. 10, saying the teacher wore the political button — urging a no vote on Referendum 74, which legalized same-sex marriage in the state — in class during the days before the Nov. 6 general election.
The button’s message was “No on 74: one man + one woman = marriage,” Deford said.
Referendum 74 won 53 percent approval statewide.
Clallam County voters rejected the measure by 53 percent. Jefferson County approved it by 64 percent.
Deford, who has a same-sex partner, said that her child, who she does not want to identify, came home after school and told her about the button worn by the teacher.
The button surprised and offended her daughter, Deford said.
Deford said she thought the teacher should have known better than to wear a political button of any kind while teaching class.
“It just shocked me that it happened here,” Deford said.
Stevens Middle School is a very good, award-winning school, she said, and her child likes it.
Her petition says: “Urge the Port Angeles School District to prohibit politicking by teachers in the K-12 classrooms. This would not affect balanced discussion of political issues in civics, history, social sciences, etc.”
Deford also writes: “My daughter lives with myself and my lesbian partner. My daughter loves me very much and we have a good family relationship.
“But [until this incident] she also thought highly of this teacher. Now she is uncomfortable with him and does not want to go back to his class.
“Now she has to worry about discrimination where she didn’t before.”
As of Saturday afternoon, 159 people had signed the petition, which says it is to be delivered to Pryne and Deford, as well as Stevens Middle School Principal Chuck Lisk and President Barack Obama.
Most of those signing the petition are from communities on the North Olympic Peninsula, but signatures also appear from California, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, Massachusetts, New York and Hawaii.
Pryne, in her email message, said she cannot comment except to say that a policy is already in place and that the district has dealt with the issue.
“I very much appreciate the concerns and input by these citizens,” Pryne wrote.
“The Port Angeles School District has both a policy and procedure that provides that employees may not campaign for a political candidate or for a political issue during school hours on school property.
“Of course, teachers have the right to engage in political activity off campus and on their own time.
“The petition here arises from an incident that has been addressed by the district,” Pryne wrote.
“Of course, I cannot comment on the specifics of this confidential matter involving employees and students.”
The district’s Procedure 5252P, Part C, directly addresses the issue:
“An employee may not campaign for a political candidate or for a political issue during school hours on school property.”
In her petition, Deford says that she is aware of the school policy but that “we are proposing that they amend their antidiscrimination policy to make it (specifically) inappropriate for teachers K-12 to politic while in class.
Deford said she hasn’t decided if she will bring the issue to the School Board.
She emphasized that she doesn’t want the teacher fired or to sue the district.
“I am asking the teacher to apologize to all of the students in his class, and for additional sensitivity training for teachers,” she said.
________
Peninsula Daily News Managing Editor for News Leah Leach contributed to this report.
-----
The Peninsula Daily News is a media partner of KOMO News. Read the original Daily news story with comments »
I abhor ignorant behavior and no one should solicit anyone else for a vote, especially on private property OR a public institution. There was pro 74 person on my stoop a month ago and told her to get off of my property. I also told her it wasn't her business to ask how I was going to vote. Lucky she got smart before I slammed the door in her face. Who do these people think they are to approach someone about voting, which I think is very personal.
Politics should stay out of schools.....and they had the teacher remove the button. But of course this lady wants "more done". I'm glad R74 passed....but I do see the side where people are complaining that gay/lesbian people are shoving their beliefs down other people's throats. It's not enough for them to be OK with their homosexuality, everybody else everywhere has to be OK with it too. That's not how it works. Some people will never be OK with it. That's their right. Publicly shaming someone who doesn't agree with you (which is exactly what this is) is stupid and wrong.
Regardless of your views on the subject, If I have to look at 245,936 political posters, get robo calls from god knows who, and have to listen to it for 7 months out of the year, one button shouldn't matter. Kids can't vote, so it shouldn't matter much. We have a open political system in our country. It's still the teachers right to free speech.
 @Xirxious "Kids can't vote, so it shouldn't matter much"
No, they can't vote.
But they are not unaware of the opinions - and biases - of adults. And they do take their clues from those adults on how to react to people who are impacted by those opinions, including how to react to other children who may be in certain situations - such as children of gay partners.
And kids are well known to be capable of some very vicious treatment of other kids over things like having "two moms or dads".Â
So, having a teacher openly presenting a political stand is very likely to influence and instigate how children react to other children who are in those kinds of families.
This story is also on King 5 . For this mother to not want this teacher fired, she sure wanted everyone to know about it.
A teacher's personal political and religious beliefs should be kept out of the classroom. Period. It is not the place to "make your stand". Â
If this teacher had worn an Obama pin *( before the election) would this mother have complained?
 @agatha Others would have. Keep the political advertising out of the schools.
OMG lady, get over it. People have a right to have different opinions. Years ago the teachers at my kids elementary school were promoting Obama. My husband and I did not vote for Obama. Did it bother us?  Yes but we got over it. People make such a big deal over such small things these days. Its ridiculous.
 @agatha I agree, but there isn't really ANY good reason to involve children in politics at that age. Just teach them.
A math teacher? Â A man of science and reason, and he thinks it's a good idea to throw subjective politic into the classroom? Â Appears to have been settled as in any employment situation - don't do it again, now go back to work.
Its funny how the "freedom of speech" issue offends people unless the topic agrees with their views.
 @JeepRex While I wholeheartedly love my ability to speak freely, as a teacher I would never preach my political values at my students. 1) It's not in my syllabus. 2) It is against school policy. 3) You never know what situation these kids are living in until you ask. 4) It's douchebaggery to force your opinion on other people, especially in a working environment.
 @SouthofSeattle 6 years ago a teacher lost her job in Marysville for sending some PETA literature home with my oldest daughter when we informed the school that she would be gone for a week hunting.
 @JeepRex No, even if I agree with an opinion, I know better than to advertise it in the workplace. Especially a school.Â
 @JeepRex If everyone always agreed with every topic we wouldn't need freedom of speech.Â
Bias Check Time: If the word NO had been YES, it still would have been wrong, but would anybody have complained? Would it have done any good?
 @boeman If it had been 'yes', any other parent could have complained. It is an educational setting, not a political party meeting.
And then there was the principle from NJ Â (Joe Brown?) who wore a billy stick to school to keep the thugs in line. Maybe Joe Brown got transferred to an easy school in Port Angeles?
The teacher did not know the policies at the place he worked. It is typical. Was this teacher like the guy in the movie  To Sir With Love ? I forget the name of the black actor (Sidney Pottier or something) was depicted as the phenomenal teacher in that movie.
I think most of you are missing the point here. School is supposed to be a place were students can go to learn WITHOUT Prejudice. Sure, every person has a right to their own beliefs. Our schools have adopted a ZERO tolerance policy towards drugs, violence, harassment and discrimination of sexual orientation. To make it a safe place for students to learn. Therefore, the teacher's have a responsibility to make the school a place of tolerance acceptance. If this teacher was wearing a pin that prejudiced against any other student demographic like minorities people would be up in arms. The fact is, this is no different. If you are a teacher and are publicly making a statement against a student demographic while you are on school premises. Bottom line is the District has already admitted a violation of policy was made.  "A policy is already in place and the district has dealt with the issue.âI very much appreciate the concerns and input by these citizens,â Pryne wrote.âThe Port Angeles School District has both a policy and procedure that provides that employees may not campaign for a political candidate or for a political issue during school hours on school property.
 @bylloh68 Yes, thank you! You said it perfectly!Â
 @bylloh68 Bingo! Thank you,
âAn employee may not campaign for a political candidate or for a political issue during school hours on school property.â
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Wearing the button is campaigning, so the teacher should be disciplined. The vague response from the district indicates that the teacher wasn't disciplined. Parents and taxpayers have a right to know how the district deals with violations of policy. Not sharing this information breeds distrust.
The matter is settled. The mother should use this opportunity to teach her child that true tolerance is interacting with people in a positive manner even though they may not have the same beliefs.
Wouldn't you think people (including teachers) have freedom of speech? It's all good and fine if they agree with you but it all falls to hell if they don't.
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Lesbian parent, seriously. You think people ought to agree with your mindset and that is fine. Not everyone agrees with you. Much as you want freedom of speech, please let others have the same right.
 @ms_creant "Wouldn't you think people (including teachers) have freedom of speech?"
Teachers are public employees - and public workers are required to leave their politics and religion out of the work place. When I was with WSDOT, I never knew the religion or political views of the vast majority of the people I worked with...and I was glad not to have to deal with the irritation of having co-workers try to convert me...like I did have to deal with at Boeing.Â
It is especially important for public workers not to show favoritism/bias to any religion or political group - because tax payers come in all persuasions.
 @OrcasThunder  @ms_creant Right on, Ocras ThunderÂ
 @ms_creant It saddens me how many people don't know what free speech really means. The right to freedom of speech is not absolute.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech
Good on this woman for living her life the way she wants to live it. But screw her for thinking she can dictate how this teacher is punished. The small matter is settled, so get on with your life and let everyone else get on with theirs, or this is one supporter of gay rights you're going to lose.
 @Illuminati No, this teacher needs to realize that political views at school in a classroom are not okay. Period. No matter what it takes. What If he were wearing a button that says 'Repeal the Second Amendment"? I agree with that, but not in the classroom.Â
During this campaign season I had a neighbor's fourth grade son tell me he thinks I should vote for Obama because Obama cares about all the people and will help us all. When asked where he got this information he told me his teacher told him. Ok ... Now I'm thinking I should have called the school and complained that this woman was forcing her political agenda on a bunch of fourth graders. Years ago it was my twelve year old nephew telling me the same thing about Clinton. Come on lady, you can use this experience to teach your daughter that you can't please all of the people all of the time. I do believe a teacher's political opinion does not belong in an elementary classroom. If she is seriously afraid to go back into that classroom, given the issue you have made of this, I'm willing to bet the school would happily assign her to another teacher.
 @lisaraintree It's because the teachers union, the WEA, is ridiculously pro-Democrat. You'd never hear any of them telling children to vote for Romney or McCain, etc. Kids shouldn't be hearing any of that stuff at school, period. But the obvious bias is just sickening to boot.
 School is a place for learning, kids are told about presidents from George Washington to todays president, they (kids) aren't stupid, if they hear good things about a president, what's wrong with that? nothing wrong with teaching kids the president cares about them is there? it could have been the other way around, I hear no mention about Romney being a jerk, it shouldn't matter anyway, maybe the kids were discussing the presidents as usually happens in history class, these kids are not old enough to vote anyway, so that has no bearing on anything, does this young lady even know what ref 74 is all about? if so, from who? I'm guessing it wasn't the teacher who enlightened her, if that offended this woman so much, it's time to talk to her daughter as another poster suggested, this isn't the end of society because a teacher wore a damn button, get over it....we knew this was coming, tip of the ice berg...
Cynthia Deford get over it.Referendum 74 passed, now stop trying to control people.Next time I go to Port Angeles I'm going to wear my NO on 74 T-shirt.Â
 @Tacobender50 What an immature response. Do you also through tantrums?
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She is not trying to control people; she wants a place where her daughter can get an education without feeling uncomfortable. That's not too much to ask and it's more about her daughter's feelings than hers. Teachers are supposed to teach, not advocate their own political views, no matter what they are.
 @tats76 I agree with the notion Teachers are supposed to teach, but when schools teach sexuality  between two males or two females that where the line is drawn.Think about the kids who feel uncomfortable when that is taught.You can't have it both ways,  there are many others who agree with me. We will not stop speaking about what we believe in. If you don't agree with my comment, that is your problem.You made that choice to response.Â
 @Tacobender50  @tats76 Unfortunately, many, if not most, parents have a hard time talking with their children about sex and sexuality. They themselves might be misinformed. And since most parents are straight, how is the gay child to learn? Your "solution" is a recipe for STDs, unintended pregnancies, unhappy teens, and Internet-sourced info. The public good is served by having well-informed kids, armed with knowledge and understanding. A knowledge of religions beyond that which might be in their family is also a great idea as this promotes cross-cultural understanding and American cohesiveness.
 @strangel00p  @Tacobender50  @tats76 It is not up to the Government to teach Children about sexuality or religion.These kind of topics should be up to the parents.If you want to teach children about human experience lets just go ahead and teach them that abortion is OK, that we are born, we pay taxes and we will all die.Would this be OK to teach these topic, whether you believe this or not. Government has a place and so do parents, let parents decide on what they want to teach there children on social issues such as LGBT. Â
 @Tacobender50  @tats76 Why shouldn't schools teach about same-sex couples in social studies and same-sex sex in sex ed? They are part of the human experience, part of every culture in the world, and part of every school community.
All businesses have policies in place, public or private, so the teacher shouldn't have been wearing the pin I suppose, BUT I agree with a lot of other posters here that if that pin said pro or no on anything else but that it wouldn't have been given a second thought. You give the gays exactly what they wanted and it still isn't enough and never will be. Just like any other minority group, they do nothing but complain and then they get what they want and it's not enough. If any of you figure out how to give every group what they want without leaving somone out in the cold, let all of us, including our Government know how so that the whining will stop!!!!
I will not say weather I am for or against gay marriage, but a teacher wearing a campaign button for or against should not be allowed to wear it in class. They have a captive audience and they are children who are unwise to the ways of life yet so we should stay as neutral as possible when dealing with them. I wonder if the teacher wearing a Yes R 74 would have had a complaint from this person???
I feel like I need to take a shower after reading all the hateful, homophobic comments.Â
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It's pathetic there are still so many ugly people in the world.
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Politicking needs to stay out of school. Politics only has a place in school if it's a lesson in political science. For this teacher to have an anti-gay button on is obviously a way to try to slam gay kids in school. Keep 'em down, keep 'em quiet.
I bet this teacher is another yawner of a Christian, all full of love and Jesus for his fellow humans.........as long as they think like he does.
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The people on here talking who are so nasty, I just hope to hell you don't have children.
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@countyclerk And yet you said in another article, and I quote "Making judgements and comments is what these forums are all about. " Regardless of how people feel or don't feel, they still have a right to feel that way.
@countyclerk You'd better make that two showers, as your comments are as hateful as any others on this board. I'd suggest you turn the other cheek, but your hateful comments include Christians, so I'm sure you wouldn't think that suggestion aplies to you.
I could understand the point if it was a high school civics class but not for primary school. The point is to teach students the basics in math, science, history, etc. and let the heavy thinking issues remain in the high school domain when the students are aware of their world.
Too often now the children are forced to grow up and not able to enjoy their youth which needs to stop. Now perhaps the teacher didnt realize the perception of her choice to wear the button but the reaction should be enough to tell them to stop bringing their personal views into the classroom.
I bet if this teacher wore yes on R-74 there would be no commotion. If you are against gay marriage, you are a hater, a Nazi, etc. We are now known as spouse A spouse B by the state. No longer bride and groom or husband and wife.
@STK. you can still call yourself bride and groom but one can also say bride and bride. Why does it bother you so much what words are used?
@sb in seattle Your marriage certificate going forward will be spouse A and spouse B. It is confusing for heterosexuals. Ok for gays. We would like to be straight who is the groom and who is the bride. For Dave and Sue, we like Dave to be known as the groom and Sue as the bride. For Michael and Lamar or Gretchen and Barb, they could call whatever they are pleased with, spouse A and Spouse B, groom and bride, groom and groom, bride and bride, etc.
 @nobelprizeme  @STK  @sb "last time i checked, married couples were the only ones who could have things like divorce and spousal abuse"
Are you really that obtuse - or are you simply that isolated from reality?
"Married couple" includes same-gender marriages. And since I-74 passed and the citizens of the State of Washington have approved same-sex marriages, they will exist here in a couple of weeks. That happened in Maine as well - plus MA and other States have had them for years. Many same-sex couples in the US have been married couples for years.
And some of them have divorced.
So much for your denial on that subject.
Now, I fully expect that over time the divorce rate of same-sex marriages will mirror the average divorce rate of heterosexual marriages. But the fact remains, the rate of marriages in the red (largely religious conservative) states IS higher that that of the rest of the country.
As to abuse, it occurs regardless of marital status.
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 @OrcasThunder  @STK  @sb last time i checked, married couples were the only ones who could have things like divorce and spousal abuse... care to enlighten us on what other groups can also have divorce?Â
 @strangel00p  @nobelprizeme  @STK  @sb Exactly...
 @nobelprizeme  @STK  @sb "but they are the only group that can have them at all."
Apparently you haven't kept up with the news over the past few years...
 @nobelprizeme  @OrcasThunder  @STK  @sb I believe OrcasThunder was referring to the more religious married couples vs. the less religious married couples. It's certainly true that A) Red states tend to have more divorce and B) Red states tend to be more religious. I believe it's MA (with marriage equality for almost a decade) that has the lowest rate of divorce.
 @OrcasThunder  @STK  @sb pretty sure you have to be married to have things like divorce, spousal abuse, and adultery in the first place... so not only do they have the highest rates of those instances, but they are the only group that can have them at all.  are you labeling those who think differently "antis' because you find them to be lesser people than you?
 @STK  @sb "It is confusing for heterosexuals."
Hogwash.
What is "confusing" is the way the anti's are so animate on how much a part religion "plays" in marriage - and yet you have the highest rates of divorce and spousal abuse and adultery on any segment in the country.Â
 @STK  @sb This is sarcastic, right?
 @STK  @sb How often do you look at your marriage certificate, and how does it influence your daily life?Â