STIFLING FAIRNESS IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOM
One more story from Missouri:
Controversy erupted recently in Kirkwood, MO, an affluent suburb of St. Louis. At an evening meeting at Nipher Middle School designed to introduce parents to the school curriculum for the coming year, a Palestinian flag was prominently displayed on the wall of social studies teacher Jason Kipp's classroom. Although the Jewish population of Kirkwood is not large, it so happened that one parent in attendance was a descendant of Holocaust survivors, along with her daughter who was scheduled to be a student in Kipp's class (she was later removed). She asked if the flag of Israel could also be displayed, but Mr. Kipp refused, and then added fuel to the fire by making a remark to the lady about "your version of history." Understandably, the lady was upset and complained to the school administration. Since then, meetings have been held and school district administrators have attempted to address the conflict, but anger remains.
It is difficult to understand why a teacher of middle school students would refuse to allow students to learn about both sides of a controversy; if he is convinced that he is correct in his opinions, then he should have no fear of presenting an alternative viewpoint and allowing facts to speak for themselves (although one wonders at this point if the facts would be presented fairly).
After the attacks of 9-11, the government and citizenry of the United States encouraged study of Islam in order to understand the thinking and real or perceived grievances that led to such a vile act. Government policy did not seek to punish an entire people or way of life. Regardless of which side an individual supports in the Middle East conflict, it is shocking that a teacher would openly side with one side, and it is equally shocking that his employers would allow that to happen.
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