Month: May 2023

Wisconsin teacher who spoke out about ‘Rainbowland’ ban says she is being terminated

First grade teacher Melissa Tempel, who spoke out about the decision of Waukesha Schools in Wisconsin to ban “Rainbowland” by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton from a spring concert, said the district’s superintendent has recommended she be terminated from her job.

Tempel said she was informed on Monday by superintendent James Sebert. In an email, Sebert told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a member of the USA TODAY Network, on Wednesday that he was unable to comment on the personnel matter.

The recommendation is in the wake of the school’s decision to ban “Rainbowland,” which has caught the attention of national media outlets, a Cyrus’ nonprofit, and even former President Barack Obama, who followed Tempel on Twitter shortly after she spoke out.

Tempel is currently on leave from the district after being placed on leave on April 3. At the time, Sebert referred the Journal Sentinel to an assistant superintendent responsible for human resources, who declined to comment.

Sebert’s recommendation would require approval from the Waukesha School Board. The Journal Sentinel contacted Kelly Piacsek, the school board’s president, but did not immediately get a response.

Last month, Wisconsin state school superintendent Jill Underly sent a letter to Sebert and the school board saying she was “deeply troubled by the harm caused” by the district’s decision to ban the song, and that the district should reverse course on its decision to enforce its Controversial Issues in the Classroom policy.

The policy, according to a letter Sebert sent in 2021, bans the use of Pride, Black Lives Matter, Thin Blue Line and “any other posters or materials to such” from classrooms. Sebert said the decision to ban the song was because it violated the policy.

Sebert also said in March the decision to pull the song was based on “whether it was appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students” and because of “social or personal impacts” on them.

Underly, in her letter, stated, “Whether you realize it or not, you are, under the guise of protection, causing undue harm to students and staff. However, this damage is reversible. It is paramount that you change course now.”

“The decisions you have made as district leaders have intensified the stressors our teachers feel and helped create and continue to perpetuate a toxic environment,” she wrote.

Underly’s letter led to a response from Sebert and state Republican lawmakers who said Underly needs to be mindful of local control.

“As a former School Superintendent yourself, you know how critically important local control is for Boards and administrators to meet the varied needs in their communities,” Sebert wrote back to Underly. “As the State Superintendent, you likely realize that with over 400 school districts in Wisconsin, one size does not fit all on any given topic.”

Four Waukesha County state legislators — Rep. Scott Allen, Rep. Adam Neylon, Sen. Chris Kapenga, and Sen. Rob Hutton — sent a letter to Underly as well, saying they were “proud” of the school district and its actions. “Your letter also undermines local control,” the lawmakers added.

Tempel said a district administrator told her she should not speak with other staff, students, parents, or members of the public about her leave, but when she found out on Monday that she was recommended to be terminated from her job she decided to release a statement.

Tempel released the statement through the Alliance for Education in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a group of parents who in April said they are seeking a state Department of Justice investigation into Sebert, accusing him of discrimination of LGBTQ+ students and staff following a series policy changes and actions.

Former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin James Santelle said in April that he advised the alliance and suggested filing a federal civil rights lawsuit against the administration, saying district policies violate the First Amendment.

In her statement, Tempel said removing her from the classroom had a “harmful” and “traumatic” impact on the students at Heyer Elementary School.

“My students’ parents, many of whom speak Spanish, did not receive any information about my absence or when I would return, even when they asked for it directly,” Tempel wrote. “As recently as last week some of them didn’t know that I was placed on administrative leave.

This is not normal procedure during a teacher’s absence and doesn’t prioritize the emotional or academic well-being of my students. … It will take me a long time to process how cruel the district’s actions were to those families and the chilling effect my termination will have on any other educators in the Waukesha Community.”

Tempel said she has been a teacher for 23 years. “I have been consistently held up as a model educator,” she wrote. “I am an award winning, National Board-Certified Teacher who was rated ‘distinguished educator’ by my administrators for three years in a row. Last year, I was named Outstanding Educator by Wisconsin Badgers Athletics and WEAC. I have never had disciplinary action taken against me.

“I remain committed to the work I have done throughout my life and career, both inside and outside the classroom, as an activist, advocate, and ally. I believe we need to have conversations in our communities about how to make sure our schools are inclusive spaces where our students feel safe and can focus on learning.”

 

Tempel said she will be pursuing a “First Amendment claim,” but it’s unclear if that will be a federal lawsuit.

 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK:

 

Do No Harm, a group of ‘medical professionals’ is behind many anti-trans laws

Nearly identical pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation are popping up in state legislatures across the country, and it’s no coincidence.

From bathroom bills to “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, lawmakers pushing restrictive policies are creating a patchwork of legal anti-trans and anti-queer discrimination across the country.

Much of the wording from these anti-trans bills comes from conservative groups like Do No Harm and the Family Research Council, The Associated Press discovered after analyzing 130 bills across 40 states.

These groups produce ready-made bills to serve as models that can be easily replicated in different states. The bills have similar preambles and citations, proclaiming the so-called dangers of gender-affirming healthcare — which the majority of the medical community says is essential, life-saving care.

The Family Research Council has been around for decades, using human rights issues like gay marriage or abortion to mobilize conservatives. Do No Harm is much newer, launching last year in an effort to shield “patients and physicians from woke healthcare.”

“We know that woke medical education and research are already impacting healthcare providers, and now federal and state policymakers are forcing woke policies into medicine,” Kristina Rasmussen, executive director of Do No Harm, said in an April 2022 press release. “Woke discrimination hurts the people it claims to help.”

The nonprofit has made an impact. Lawmakers in Montana, Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and West Virginia have all used wording nearly identical to the model legislation put forth by Do No Harm, the AP found.

Despite claims from the organization — and the few medical doctors on its staff — that it protects healthcare workers and patients from “discriminatory, divisive ideologies,” the nonprofit’s position conflicts with the recommendations of leading medical organizations, which warn against promoting pervasive stigmas against LGBTQ people.

“Simply, there is no scientific basis for discriminating against sexual and gender minorities,” a 2020 American Psychological Association resolution said. “History illustrates that stigma, stereotypes, and propagation of fear via discourse are often used as tools in establishing and maintaining oppressive and discriminatory legislation and policy against sexual and gender minorities.”

Several other medical groups have joined calls to stop anti-trans policies from taking hold across the nation — like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, and the National Education Association, to name a few.

Do No Harm’s website, meanwhile, says: “This is just the beginning.”

“2023 is already shaping up to be even bigger, bolder, and more impactful,” the website says.

Right-wing parents targets librarian over Mother’s Day lesson

A librarian at a school in Tennessee is in shock after being targeted by right-wing parents for creating a Mother’s Day lesson that they say indoctrinates children into Leninist ideologies.

As the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent writes, the group “Moms for Liberty” recently came down hard on Caroline Mickey of the Alpine Crest Elementary School after she tried to make an inclusive Mother’s Day lesson that acknowledged not every child in the school lived with a mother in the traditional sense of the word.

“Micky notified parents that two books would be read aloud to kids from kindergarten through second grade,” writes Sargent. “One was ‘Stella Brings the Family,’ about a girl who is unsure how to approach a Mother’s Day celebration at school because she had two dads. The other was ‘Mother Bruce,’ about a bear who adopts a brood of goslings who believe he’s their mother.”

Even though Mickey gave parents the chance to opt their children out of the lesson, this was not enough to satisfy Moms for Liberty members, who demanded that the school cancel it entirely.

“Members of its chapter in the red-leaning area around the school in Hamilton County attacked the idea on social media and in local newspaper as Leninist indoctrination, anti-Christian and a threat to Western civilization,” writes Sargent. “One woman called on locals to pray for children to guard them against the demonic threat posed by those children’s books.”

In the end, they were about to pressure to school board to cancel the lesson, which left Mickey feeling overwhelmed.

Now for my two cents.

Are they crazy? It wasn’t good enough that they were able to opt out if they thought it was so offensive, but no, they want to stop everyone to do the same. If it’s about protecting their children, just keep them at home, but don’t make children that doesn’t have a mother for one reason or another or two dads feel bad about themselves. The children from families that are not traditional mother and father are probably the only family they know. To them two fathers are the normal family to them. As far as no mother at all, maybe the mother was killed in a car accident, or died of a ailment, or divorce and the children live with the father. What’s important is making the children feel good about themselves no matter what type of family the live in.

The idea of them deciding to put out ads, attack people on social media, and even local newspapers with made up propaganda about Leninist indoctrination, anti-Christian, and a threat to Western Civilization. It’s the Moms for Liberty that are indoctrinating our children into believe that this world was created white and that anyone that was gay, black, muslim, or of not a Caucasian descent is evil, and out to attack you. They are teaching white kids that they are superior to everyone else, and they should get what they want over the expense of others.

Hitler tried to create a perfect white race in Germany by killing everyone who didn’t look like them or believe as they do.

Now it’s your two cents. Feel free to comment below.

Customers are being asked to tip even at self check-out

Self-checkout machines at cafes, sport stadiums, and airports are now requesting tips, but customers are not pleased about giving extra money to machines.

According to The Wall Street Journal, digital self-checkout kiosks are on the rise, and customers are responding negatively to tip prompts. The majority of customers who were asked to tip workers they had no interaction with were frustrated by these prompts, as per the Journal.

Several customers around the US were interviewed for the report. While some individuals were willing to add on the extra fees, the majority found the tip cues confusing, and many were unsure where the money was going.

One customer, for instance, took a beer from a self-service beer fridge at San Diego's Petco Park and was asked to include a tip on his order. "I was confused because it wasn't entirely clear who I was tipping," he told the Journal, although he still tipped 20% anyway.

The pandemic has led to an increase in self-checkout machines asking for tips, as more people try to avoid contact with others. Walmart, grocery stores, and other large companies are implementing the same strategy.

The purpose of a significant increase in self-checkout kiosks is to reduce labor costs. Therefore, the question arises: who gets the money? There is no cashier to tip, and once a company purchases the machine, they only have to cover the cost of maintaining and running it.

Tipping has become an increasingly controversial issue in the United States, with many Americans experiencing "tipping fatigue" as they are asked to tip at more places and face the effects of inflation.

Initially, tipping began as a gratuity for exceptional customer service provided by waitresses. The restaurant industry lobbied Congress to allow waiters to be paid a lower wage, with tips covering the difference to bring them up to the minimum wage.

The Journal reported that landlords have taken to TikTok to advocate for gratuity to be added to rent, while the first unionized Apple store in Maryland is pushing for the introduction of a tipping system.

Have you encountered this situation before, and how did you handle it?

The Cycle of Life (revised)

As the daylight fades and darkness takes control,
I stand on the brink of time, deep within my soul.
As the embers of the fire die, I hear whispers of despair,
Echoing through my spirit, a warning of the end that is here.

Yet, when the final light flickers, I refuse to take the leap,
And brave the danger, for I have no fear to keep.
As I plunge into the abyss, fire, and ice swirl all around,
Half-remembered faces frozen in time, lost, and never found.

This is the moment the earth stands still, and Angels of forgiveness descend
To breathe new life into my soul and extend new hope to end.
In the depths of my being, the winds of immortality blow,
Reviving the last flicker of light and making it forever glow.

With this newfound strength, I challenge my dreams to quench my thirst for life.
I run through mountains, across fields and deserts with a renewed sense of might.
As I pass through valleys, my soul awakens, like a winter breeze over snow.
As the moonlight bathes the hills, I hear whispers of darkness flow.

May my heart be filled with love, and my mind with wisdom untold.
In the end, may my soul find peace, and my spirit bold forever.
As my journey draws to a close, and my dreams no longer torment,
It’s up to us to make a difference, and cherish each and every moment.

Written by D. Allen Jack