Missouri teacher stops after complaints regarding gay pride flag
NEOSHO, Mo. (AP)-- A teacher said he resigned from a Missouri junior high school after he was told to remove a gay satisfaction flag from his classroom as well as to authorize a letter stating he would certainly not review human sexuality or gender with his pupils.
John Wallis, 22, said he hung the flag and a sign that claimed \"In This Class, EVERYONE Is Welcome\" so his pupils at Neosho Junior high school in southwest Missouri would certainly recognize they could come to him for help, The Kansas City Star reported.
Superintendent Jim Cummins stated in a declaration that he could not talk about employees matters. He said Wallis, a cinema, globe mythology and speech and also argument instructor, was hired Aug. 13 and resigned Sept. 1.
Wallis said the institution principal and assistant principal initially suggested him against showing the items yet did not restrict it. However he took the flag and also authorize down after he was told a parent complained.
When pupils asked why the flag as well as indicator were removed, he informed them he was asked to take them down and that the flag did not represent what he would instruct in his classes.
\" However I followed it up by stating, 'If you have a problem with the flag representing me, or students who determine as LGBTQ, then you can probably locate a different class,'\" said Wallis. He stated that prompted more complaints from parents.
He was then asked to authorize a letter stating he would be terminated if he might not teach his curriculum without keeping his \"individual program on sexuality\" out of the class. The letter additionally prohibited Wallis from presenting any kind of referrals to sexuality or gender in his class.
Wallis stated he's submitted a problem with the united state Division of Education and learning's Workplace of Civil Rights.
\" The problem I have with it, obviously, is that it's specific to me, and as a freely gay man that appears a bit inequitable due to the fact that if you're a straight teacher, you can speak about your partner, your children, you can have an image of your family members in the class, yet I have a flag and then suddenly there's a trouble. You know, it didn't make any type of feeling,\" Wallis said.
