Doug Bartlett, a veteran teacher with an upstanding record of 17 years, has filed a lawsuit against the school district of Chicago for suspending him without pay after giving a lesson on gardening tools to his second grade students.
The incident took place on August 8, 2011 at Washington Irving Elementary School.
Mr. Bartlett recently filed suit on April 17, 2013 saying that he suffered humiliation and embarrassment as a result of his reprimand.
The “hazardous” tools in question were pliers, screwdrivers and wrenches that only the teacher handled. The tools were kept in a locked toolbox high on a shelf out of reach before and after the gardening lesson.
The district says that Mr. Bartlett exhibited negligence in supervising the children and for “possessing, carrying, storing, or using a weapon”. He was subsequently suspended without pay for 4 days.
Mr. Bartlett’s lawsuit claims the suspension violated his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process as he asserts that there was never a full hearing on the incident. Further, he was disciplined without ever having the opportunity to plead his case.
According to the Rutherford Institute which is representing him, Mr. Bartlett is seeking damages and requesting the suspension be expunged from his teaching record.
It is important to have electronic records in order as the charge of possessing a “weapon”, in this case gardening tools, has the potential to prevent Mr. Bartlett from seeking employment elsewhere.
The incident is yet another example of an over the top reaction by school officials demonstrating poor judgment and a gross lack of common sense.
A related story occurred in the Fall of 2012 when the Vice Principal of a California school suspended a boy for bringing kombucha in his lunchbox. With no parent or guardian present at any time, the boy was interrogated in the school office by school administration and a police officer and was ultimately suspended for 5 days for “violating” the school’s drug and alcohol policy. No tests were ever performed on the beverage which is able to be legally purchased by minors at local stores.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Teacher Who Showed Garden Tools to Second Grade Students is Suspended Without Pay
This article does fail to mention that he also showed the children a box-cutter and pocket knife, which I don’t personally find incredibly disturbing, but I can see why it may have added fuel to the case against him. http://www.wnd.com/2013/04/schools-now-go-bonkers-against-pliers/
I considered the cited source from the Rutherford Institute to be the most credible since an attorney from this nonprofit is actually handling the case. It was screwdrivers, wrenches, and pliers that were mentioned in this source not boxcutters or pocket knives. The boxcutter and pocket knife assertion could in fact be trumped up and not be true so I stuck with the most reliable source.
completely agree sarah…the Rutherford Institute is excellent, and it, along w/the main man John Whitehead can be trusted. it’s an org that deserves support and kuddos for taking up for the underdogs being beat down by this rogue govt.
And a child was suspended for throwing an imaginary grenade at an imaginary box in a game of “Reacue the World”. The terrorists are laughing their heads off and cheering “Mission accomplished!”
http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/shine-on/chicago-teacher-sues-school-being-suspended-showing-garden-205200372.html
If my child was suspended for something like that I would just never bring him back! What a bunch of small minded people at some schools!
Ludicrous
Sometimes I wonder whether the US will go all-out fascist or just completely bonkers. It’s a pretty even race to the finish line so far 😀
I think we’re headed for straight communism…
Boy, you’ve got that right!
Sarah- I’m glad you take the time to inform us about so many things, so thank you for that. I can’t even begin to describe the eye opening I’ve had since I became a real foody. Actually, once I started learning about the many ways we are being poisoned with our food, water and air, it only seemed natural to start digging a little deeper into what else is going on around us.
I was going to comment yesterday on your drone article because it annoyed me the way some people were getting in your face about your “conspiracy theories.” Please people, don’t be so quick to judge based on one article. Dig deeper. Start with the NDAA. Had it not been for Kelly the Kitchen Kop writing about it on her site, I would have never even known about it. Google it. There are very few MSM stories about it, why is that? Was the public not supposed to be told? Reading about that took me on a months long investigation into many things I was totally clueless about previously: MK Ultra, chem-trails, Bilderberg and the Georgia Guidestones. You want to read something really scary? Read presidential Executive Orders signed over the years. In one fell swoop your government can shut down your water, electricity, phone, come onto your property and take your food and shut down the roads so you have no where to run.
I appreciate that my real food bloggers share things other than recipes, because even though I’ve acquired some great recipes and tips, those things pale in comparison to the knowledge I have now. Keep up the good work, Sarah!
I too appreciate you Sarah. Honestly, I don’t agree with everything you write about, but I’m not going to give you a hard time unless you lie, don’t give facts, etc. No one has to agree all the time with everyone, that’s called being a sheep, which is what is partially going on in this country. You’re right Susan, we need to dig deeper, think for ourselves, learn truth not just say, “oh we’ll never know…….” or, “oh how can we know?” that kind of thinking is how we lose our way as a country, as a people. This is how we get bad, inept officials voted in to our government. Don’t vote on fluff, i.e. oh he/she’s so cute, or well, he sounds smart, he sounds good, or I like what he’s saying but not understanding the ramification of what is being put forth, or well, everyone else likes him/her so I guess I’ll vote for him/her too. Character IS important! Who you hang with IS important (ever heard the expression – birds of a feather flock together?) being caught lying or exaggerating a lot IS important! Think people, just think!
Susan, I went down that road a while ago and it is shocking when you learn how the world really works, isn’t it? But you mentioned those executive orders, including taking food. My church has cannery facilities where people can go to can their food (big number ten cans) for food storage and pay for it. The federal government now requires everyone who does this to fill out a form with their identifying information and what type of food they canned and how much of it. I can only think this goes straight to FEMA so they will have a list of whose door to knock down when the next “crisis” happens to steal their food and resources.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable, and so, if he is romantic, he tries to change it. And even if he is not romantic personally he is apt to spread discontent among those who are”. ~ H.L. Mencken
Overboard…we have gone completely overboard!!! 🙁
ridiculous
No cars to get to work, either – those kill thousands every year. Anything can be a weapon if you choose. Janitor? No more mops or brooms, no sprays of chemicals, etc. This is ridiculous.
Common sense is not so common.
So, they are saying that no person in that school has a pair of scissors in their desk? How about a fingernail file? THIS IS NUTS! Hope the man sues the pants off em! This madness must stop!