Teacher quits over button ban
Share:FacebookX

Teacher quits over button ban

A Catholic high school teacher quit his job rather than take off an anti-war button. Talk about a lack of proportion. Before the war, many of the teachers wore a button that said, “War is not the answer.” The school said any type of slogan worn on clothing was a violation of the school’s dress code and teachers weren’t exempt. All but one of the teachers complied. So this 63-year-old guy (an ordained deacon) quit instead. (By the way, he only started teaching at the school in September after retiring temporarily from a 40-year teaching career.)

Although he quit several weeks ago, Tankard said he decided to discuss the situation after viewing battle scenes on television.

“The absolute horror of seeing our troops get killed, and cities get bombed,” he told the newspaper. “It brought home to me why I put that button on in the first place.”

blockquote>

Evidently this guy wasn’t moved by the pictures of women and children dying of mustard gas or the stories of people out of favor with the regime being tortured and killed or of Saddam’s eldest son picking out 12-year-old girls from local schools for his own uses.

Of course, the administration of the school does not cover itself in glory either.

The principal of the 850-student boys school, Joseph Fusco, said the student dress code bars slogans on clothing, and that the rules generally apply to faculty as well.

“I encourage teaching that (anti-war) point of view because it is a teaching of the church,” Fusco said. “I just feel a button is not a vehicle to teach.”

No, the teaching of the Church is not anti-war. The Church teaches that just wars are a means for justice. I wonder what the kids in that school are actually being taught.

Share:FacebookX

Archives

Categories