Amy Sorrell failure to discourage students expression has left evidence of a school system intolerance of differences. The yellow ribbon delineating the evidence of intolerance was wrapped around the specific writing of one young student. The delineator attacked the taboo subject of same sex relationships within her junior-senior high school. Intolerance was outlined throughout the walls of the schools. Sorrell, the journalism advisor did nothing to stop the controversial article chalk marks.
East County School administrators did. They moved to remove Amy Sorrell, quickly. But the chalk marks were not so easy to be removed without a trace. Sorrell punishment to be banned, sent into exile to never be heard from again did not go as easy as East Allen county school had planned. East Allen found out the pen is mighty..and dangerous when it came find places to have it say.
Sorrell comes from a journalistic background. Sorrell's voice like the student writing was not to be silenced on the issue. Sorrell reputation was being harmed. Sorrell had followed the rules; the school may not have followed its own rules. Sorrell would be punished. She was just a she who wouldn't be missed.
Sorrell would be branded. She would be placed on the peripheral edge, marked as a rabble rouser and marginalized among her peers and journalism students. Removed from her current position and transferred to another school as a probational employee, marks her as defiant and one who does not follow the rules. Sorrell will constantly be monitored for signs of not assimilating into a culture of exclusion. Punishment would not swift, but it would be just for Sorrell.
Gagged.
Free speech comes at a high price. A price that requires Sorrell to remain silent if she wants to remain in the school system.
This is a sad day for the students who learned and gained so much from this dedicated teacher. Bigotry, Intolerance and Ignorance are still alive and well in Indiana.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, her students will stay in touch with Ms. Sorrell and will continue to desire open-minded discussion and debate. Choosing analytical thinking over blind ignorance.
The NO CHILD Left behind act would reward teachers like Ms. Sorrell.
ReplyDeleteChildren need more teachers like Ms. Sorrell. Not teachers who put down and make fun of students. Schools should be an inviting place to learn.
Instead, you have children afraid to learn and afraid to be who they are. Thank you for your comments
The bigotry on display in East Allen County Schools runs far deeper than a mere distaste for student discussions of alternative sexuality. The lesson seems to be that tolerance is not in fact an admirable trait for the young students at Woodland. Justice, however, is in the wings, as reason cannot be ignored. One day in the near future; the red-necks and prudes who fear anything that is not like what the see in the mirror will soon awake to a world that they no longer recognize as their own, which has taken their lesson of intolerance and applied it as a bias to small-mindedness and irrational hang-ups.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. Bias are a learned behavior. The children are the one who are trying to break the mold. Parents seek institutions to reeducate students on the status quo and these bias.
ReplyDeleteWe are in Indiana. It is not just East Allen County School. Look at leadership in the state of Indiana and you will see that Indiana refuse to change it's way of thinking.
Our children receive mixed messages when they leave the comfort of their homes and enter the real world and see people are people. But they came not act up on it, because home will reeducate them on why it's best to stay with your own kind, with, but they are different, or you can avoid a lot of problems if you...
Believe me, this kind of thing thrives in Ohio as well.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, however, there is no law against heterosexism anywhere, nor against homophobia in most states. I am a GSA advisor and teach a Multicultural Literature class at a large, suburban high school. Address racism? Fine. Sexism? Perfect. Tolerance for gays? Whoa! One might as well paint a sign on one's back saying, "Fire me." I, too, was involuntarily transferred and would've wound up at two middle schools (I have no experience or training for that level) had I not spent all summer with lawyers. I ended up nearly having to go to court--but, because I'm a woman, could only build a case upon sexual discrimination. Until we get the laws of the land changed, LGBTQ students, teachers, and community members will continue to be at risk. I applaud Amy. People like her give me hope.
Smitty:
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming over and sharing your thoughts on the censorship of Amy Sorrell.
I think Amy Sorrell should be nominated for teacher of the year. Sorrell stood her ground, when many just wanted her to go away.
The one thing that really blows my mind is that Woodlan Jr/Sr High School is only one of at least 2 high schools in East Allen County Schools that actually has an after school "Gay Club". Why is it okay to have a "Gay Club" but it is NOT ok to write about "gays" in the school newspaper?? I personally applaud Amy Sorrell and the student who wrote the article.
ReplyDeleteClass of 1995 from an EAC School!!!
Gay Club, now that is a story.
ReplyDelete