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I just want to point out that you have succintly described the bulk of the WoW echo chamber here. To wit

The simple fact that the allegations involved religion is enough for a significant number of people to support him, regardless of the specifics.

this is the raison de etre for the joels of the world.

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In short, the guy has always gone too far with religion in the classroom. If the objection were only that he refused to remove his personal Bible from his desk, then I’d be on his side, but for years he has been reprimanded for straying from the curriculum, mostly regarding evolution, but I can remember some ‘Fractured Fairytale’ versions of the geological history of the world and such.

I have a hard time believing the branding aspect of the story, particularly with no pictures. As a physics teacher, my students and I commonly play with the types of ‘electrostatic devices’ that he would have access to, and unless someone sat willingly for at least a minute while in extreme pain, I can’t imagine how one of them would have burned a recognizeable pattern into anyone. If it got hot and literally burned the kid, that would be another story, and I wouldn’t be surprised. The marks that these instruments can leave (it takes a pretty hardcore shockaholic to get any sort of mark, and a good teacher wouldn’t allow the kids that kind of access in the first place) DO last a long time. I’ve gotten burns from them on my knuckles from demonstrating the effects repeatedly throughout the day, but those are largely small bumps of dead skin, not reddened or blistered in any way. If there is confirmation of the burning, he ought to be cooling his heels in a jail cell right now…

As far as the confusion with how students could possibly support him if he’s such a nut job, here’s how it works:
1. The guy is likeable. He really and truly is. He looks like the Brawny paper towel guy, just a really rugged manly-man type. He’s a former smoke-jumper, has traveled the world, and tells some pretty good stories in class. His class isn’t boring and kids (generally) have fun.
2. If you’ve never lived in a small town in the midwest, you have absolutely no idea how pervasive religion is. Not necessarily Christianity specifically (there are a smattering of Jewish families around Mt. Vernon who are treated perfectly well, as far as I ever saw) but religion in general. Telling someone you are an atheist is nearly as complicated socially as telling someone you’re gay. I had people stop talking to me, received threats from kids, all sorts of very non-Christian behavior, in addition to the near-constant proselytization that followed. The simple fact that the allegations involved religion is enough for a significant number of people to support him, regardless of the specifics.
3. Kids will do ANYTHING to get out of class.
4. (Regarding the well-founded fears of retaliation expressed by the parents of the child in question.) It is entirely believable that some folks who consider themselves Christian but are such in name only would get violent over this. Vandalism would be expected at the least. Only a truly deluded person would believe that a simple statement of following a set of religious beliefs has any real connection with a person’s behavior. This isn’t the sort of place where an Evolve fish keeps his legs for more than a day…

Those are my 2.5 cents, enjoy.

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Please see post #76 and read the article linked from it. This teacher is under investigation for quite a bit more than just keeping his Bible on his desk.

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I’m not rushing to his defense; I pointed out clearly that if he has done such things, then he should be fired. I also listed my reasons for skepticism that he had indeed done such things–and those reasons still stand.

I don’t know when the complaint was made, or whether it was the only one of its kind. But if there were numerous complaints, or even credible complaints, why are the students on his side, and why hasn’t the community arisen in protest and insisted he be fired or at least taken out of the classroom? The facts as presented in the article suggest a witch hunt by one pair of parents, not anything more. If there’s good reason to believe it’s more, then the administration may be negligent here. Again, teachers who are doing such things do not stay in classrooms these days.

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identity politics.

stubborn unwillingness to accept uncomfortable truths.

unprincipled objections to common courtesies.

end justifies the mean considerations.

nothing new here. i really wish joel had the integrity to admit he was just defending this clown because they harbor similar desires about cramming the baby jesus down everyones throat.

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