A California high school teacher has been placed on leave after she wondered if her school would permit an organized walkout to protest abortion.
According to CBS Sacramento, Rocklin High School’s Julianne Benzel said all she did was have a conversation with her class last Thursday and Friday about the “politics of protest” — a lesson ahead of yesterday’s school walkouts. However, this seems to have angered some students and their parents.
Benzel said “I just kind of used the example which I know it’s really controversial, but I know it was the best example I thought of at the time—a group of students nationwide, or even locally, decided ‘I want to walk out of school for 17 minutes’ and go in the quad area and protest abortion, would that be allowed by our administration?”
She insists she “never discouraged her students from participating” in the demonstration, but considered the propriety of a (public) school supporting some protests … but not others.
[Benzel] says the administration didn’t talk to her about her lecture, last week.
But while thousands of students walked out of class, Mrs. Benzel received a letter from her human resources department, informing her she’s being placed on paid administrative leave.
“I didn’t get any backlash from my students. All my students totally understood that there could not be a double standard,” she said.
The Rocklin School District won’t say whether the teacher is in trouble, because of that classroom debate.
However, the district did confirm Benzel was placed on leave “due to several complaints from parents and students involving the teacher’s communications regarding today’s student-led civic engagement activities.”
Full story at The College Fix.
Does the school or school board have previously communicated rules regarding ‘sensitive’ topics? I imagine public school teachers have to be very careful as to what they say. Almost anything ‘sensitive’ is likely to be objectionable to some part of the group. I would not want to teach in either a parochial or public school in today’s environment.
the youngr generation is clocking in on the pro-life side. this bothers pre-abortion parents who worry about their ‘conservative choices’, wondering how they could go so wrong.
wonderful quote from kellyanne conway,from 1996, on her genearation: “we are pro-life, the fetus beat us. we grew up with sonograms. we know life when we see it.”
typo: ‘pre-abortion’ should read ‘pro-abortion’. ‘their’ is adjectifying the younger set, not the parent’s choices
How Dare this Woman interrupt a perfectly good ‘virtue shaming’ with attempts to analyze it in a neutral context
Doubtless the teachers union and radical leftists organizers (reportedly coordinated by the Radical Gender Feminist ‘Women’s March’ gangsters) were deeply concerned – about possibly allowing a ‘good crisis to go to waste’.
Women of America – Like Hillary’s comments about you daring to Vote for Trump, Women daring to question Rad-Fem Activism are Not Considered Real Women – unlike Male Drag Queens.
Ahem
Hmm… I wonder whether Bishop PJ McGrath would support an abortion walkout after he wrote a full-on letter supporting students at his diocesan high school walking out:
https://www.dsj.org/blog/bishop-mcgraths-remark-archbishop-mittys-17-minute-walkout/
Would PJ have such stern words against those who support killing innocent life in the womb as he has against guns? Would he encourage his high school students in a demonstration against abortion? We’ll never know because it will never happen. Maybe that gives us the answer we are looking for.
Kalifornia is a leftist totalitarian state, and schools — public and private — in that state function as leftist seminaries. Any departure from leftist groupthink will not be tolerated; to the contrary, it will be swiftly and disproportionately punished, as in this case.
Since the school placed the teacher on leave, it seems that this student led protest may have actually have been a school led protest.
Ms. Benzel argued that the school shouldn’t have double standards.
Then the school puts her on administrative leave.
But either (a) the school agrees with Benzel or (b) the school disagrees with Benzel.
If the school agrees, then the school appears incompetent, for the very act of placing Benzel on leave makes it appear that the school itself practices double standards.
If the school disagrees, then the school appears malicious, for nobody can knowingly uphold a double standard in good faith.
Either way, the school looks like an awful place to study, much less work.
One cannot even ask a controversial question to invite debate. This is one of the reasons we have Trump as president.
They have the right. However, the timing makes it seem disingenuous. Comes off as tit for tat. If this is the only response to the youth marching for life and wanting gun control it’s sad. If you are not part of the solution you’re part of the problem.
Persecution is alive and well in California today. What happened to the days when students got to learn about both sides of the argument or debate on any subject or issue. The abortion of the unborn is the number one issue facing humanity today. It is time to end abortion of the unborn or face the wrath and judgement of Almighty God. Turn to a God of love and mercy before it is too late. Repent and Convert! End abortion now! Adoption is loving option. Pray America Pray. Pray the Rosary to end abortion. Pray Pray Pray!
I would love to be on the jury when she sues the school district.
How many children have perished at the hands of abortionists? How many to shootings? The entire nation should take a day off work and stage a National Day of Prayer in reparations for the abortion crimes.