Portfolio Artifact #2

Melissa Bain

Edu 210

2 April 2016
 This scenario focuses on a teacher's rights and responsibilities. A principal named

Freddie Watts and an assistant principal named Jimmy Brothers are both African-Americans that

are in charge of a mainly black high school. A white and tenured teacher named Ann Griffin got

into a very heated argument with Watts and Brothers and said that she hated all black folks. All

of her colleagues, both black and white, reacted very negatively towards Griffin when they heard

about situation. Principal Watts suggested that Griffin be dismissed from her duties as a teacher

because he was concerned that Griffin is unable to treat students fairly and that she is an

incompetent teacher.

Watts and Brothers both had reason to be upset. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in federally assisted

programs and activities. This basically means that people cannot be discriminated against

because of color or race in places run by the government, such as schools. So Ann Griffin broke

this when she made her statement to the administration.

The Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka was the court case that ended segregation in

schools. The case ruled that that any racial discrimination is against the Fourteenth Amendment

which states that all citizens of the United States are under equal protection of the law. No person

of color should have to worry about being discriminated against especially in schools. Its

completely understandable that Watts wanted to dismiss Griffin because after that statement she

made it very obvious that she was bias against certain people. Teachers cannot be biased for they

have to lead and be examples to all of their students.

On the other hand, Ann Griffin was a tenured teacher. Tenure means that a teacher is

protected unless they do something drastic. In the case of Cleveland Board of Education v.
Loudermill due process was questioned. A tenured teacher must be given a written notice of

termination, the charges against him or her, an explanation of the evidence, and the opportunity

for a fair hearing. According to this case, the administration had just suggested she be dismissed

from the school and none of the other things happened.

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District was a case where students were

suspended for wearing armbands protesting against the Vietnam War. The Supreme Court

decided that neither students nor teachers give up their constitutional right to freedom of speech

and expression when they get to school. Teachers are allowed to express their opinion, even at

school and one could argue thats what Ann Griffin was doing.

I would have to side with the administration on this case because teachers must watch

what they say sometimes. It did make Griffin seem like she was biased toward her black

students, especially since the school is predominately black. She did break the Title VI of the

Civil Rights Act of 1964 because she made it very obvious that she had something against black

people.

References

Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka (1954).

Cleveland Board of Education vs. Loudermill (1985).
Jacobs, T. (2008, September 15). 10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know. Retrieved
April 2, 2016, from 10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know
Teachers' Rights: Tenure and Dismissal. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2016, from
http://education.findlaw.com/teachers-rights/teachers-rights-tenure-and-
dismissal.html
Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969).
Underwood, J., & Webb, L. D. (2006). School law for teachers: Concepts and applications.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.