Marianna teacher ‘told students what ‘CHANGE’ stood for’
Greg Howard
Published: October 2, 2008
Updated: October 13, 2008
The Jackson County School Board has taken action against a teacher who apparently made racial commentary on presidential candidate Barack Obama.
According to parents and students in Greg Howard’s seventh-grade social studies class, Howard on Friday, Sept. 26 asked the class a question regarding Obama’s call for change, and proceeded to write out what the letters C-H-A-N-G-E stood for.
“She told me that he wrote on the board ‘Can You Help A (expletive) Get Elected, and then laughed about it,” said Shelia Christian, a mother of one of Howard’s students.
Jackson County Superintendent Danny Sims said that description of this incident was “pretty accurate.”
Sims said Howard apparently repeated the action in more than one class, having made the comment in “a couple of periods.”
According to a news release from the school board, Howard was suspended with pay on Monday, Sept. 29.
On Wednesday Howard was given a written reprimand regarding his actions, and those actions will be reported to the Florida Department of Education Office of Professional Practices, according to the school board.
As of Thursday, he was suspended without pay for 10 days, was relieved of his football coaching duties, and will be transferred to the Jackson County Adult Education program, according to JCSB.
Howard is also required to submit a letter of apology to the students involved, and is required to attend diversity and sensitivity training, the school board reported.
Sims said Howard’s racial commentary was not directed at any students, but were directed at a political party.
“We’ve handled this swiftly and we’ve handled it with a concern that we’re not going to tolerate it and this is a pretty stiff (action). The situation is behind us and we’re ready to move forward,” said Sims.
“My daughter came home very upset after that happened. When you’re in school teaching our kids, you’re supposed to be teaching them what’s right by the law, not what’s right in your opinion. This is not the stone ages. We don’t come through the back door anymore. I raise my kids to be respectful and they should be led by example,” said Christian.
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IN RESPONSE TO MY-HELLE’S REPLY. I KNOW YOU ARE A WHITE RACIST. I IMAGINE YOU RIDE AROUND JACKSON COUNTY AT NIGHT WITH A SHEET ON. YOU ARE CONDONING THIS BEHAVIOR, THAT SAYS ALOT ABOUT YOUR MORALE, AND CHARACTER. AND THEN YOU MADE REFERENCE TO A RACIAL WEBSITE, FOR MORE TRUTH,, THE TRUTH IS YOU ARE A RACIST AND IT IS SAD SO MANY PEOPLE WHO YOUR BELIEF AND IDEAS ARE IN SOCIETY, YOU NEED TO GET SOME TRUE EDUCATION ON THE N. WORD.Reader Reactions
Posted by ( My-Helle ) on October 04, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Quote from the article: �Howard is also required to submit a letter of apology to the students involved, and is required to attend DIVER[******] and SENSITIVITY TRAINING, the school board reported.�
In communist Russia or Germany this would be called by it�s CORRECT name: brainwashing or reprogramming.
And we all know if this had been a LIBERAL making an anti-McCain/Palin remark, the parents, schoolboard and MSM would�t have anything to say about it!!!
Double standards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For more truth, see www.[********].com
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Quote from the article: “Howard is also required to submit a letter of apology to the students involved, and is required to attend DIVER[******] and SENSITIVITY TRAINING, the school board reported.“
In communist Russia or Germany this would be called by it’s CORRECT name: brainwashing or reprogramming.
And we all know if this had been a LIBERAL making an anti-McCain/Palin remark, the parents, schoolboard and MSM would’t have anything to say about it!!!
Double standards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For more truth, see www.[********].com
The question here probably goes higher up the ranks than the unfortunate Mr. Howard who was pilloried last night on Keith Olbermann’s “Worst Person in the World.“ Has Superintendent Sims fostered an anatmosphere that led Mr. Howard to think a career-ending move like this would be overlooked?
Otosan you are a class A MORON - NOBODY has freedom of speech in a teaching situation beacause that is a JOB and one is being PAID to teach. Not to mention ANY employer can set standards for speech and conduct - swearing, racial slurs, political opinion, WHATEVER - Try saying ni—er at your job and see how far free speech gets you. If you think this is OK for a teacher to do you must have rocks in your head. Constitutional protections apply to private citizens in their PRIVATE lives.
I will keep this simple and short, HE NEEDS TO BE FIRED. THIS RACIST SHOULD NOT BE EDUCATING OUR FUTURE LEADERS.MY GUESS IS IF HE ISN’T AL SHARPTON WILL SOON BE PROTESTING..
Mr. Howard was obviously wrong for the comments made in the classroom. His behavior is indicative of the long standing racial bigotry that exists in Jackson County. My Christian values teach me that it is our responsibility to forgive, BUT, it also teaches that every action has a consequence. Mr. Howard must have APPROPRIATE consequences for his actions.
Now it becomes the responsibility of the Superintendent and the School Board to take the appropriate next action… Dismiss Mr. Howard.
Everyone, please be reminded the next School Board Meeting is scheduled for October 16, 2008 at 4pm, and it is open to the public. Please call the school board at 482-1200, ask for Danny Sims assistant (Cindy) and request that the “Disciplinary Action of Mr. Howard” be placed on the agenda. Please know that a decision probably will not be made at the meeting, but this is a perfect opportunity for you to express your opinion on the matter and hear where your elected representatives stands. YOU CAN ASK THEM.
I encourage everyone to take advantage of forums of this nature to ensure that the needs of the citizens are being met after the polls close.
See you on October 16th at 4:00pm at the JCSB Office on Jefferson Street (across from the Fire Department).
Mr. Miller, Mr. Benton - hope to see you there as well!
Anyone who truly feels this is a matter of “freedom of speech”, is simply put, idiotic. I have taught school and know that only an insensitive, overtly racist malcontent, would ever expose students to that type of vitriol. And Danny Sims’ assertion that Howard’s “racial commentary” was geared toward a political party is pure hogwash. Is he saying that the “N” word is synonymous with the Democratic party? If this is truly what he feels, thank God for his recent defeat at the polls. The punishment should be comensurate with his action…he should be dismissed. Danny Sims apparently feels that he has done something significant. The only significant action he should take is to recommend to the school board that Howard be terminated.
If you tolerate this crap anywhere your just as bigoted as he is 0 tolerance this kinda stuff.
I am a 1968 graduate of Greenwood High School, a school in the same county. It looks like things have not changed very much in Jackson County. As perverse as it may seem, I am grateful for people like Mr. Greg Howard. I had to deal with teachers and even a principal like him during my tenure at that school. I had a class sponsor who told me that I should become an auto mechanic. She could not see the promise in me and what I might become. She only saw as was called in those days a “negro boy.“ Because most of my teachers were like Mr. Howard, I studied hard and went to college. I received my Ph.D. and today I am a millionaire. So I used the ignorance that I faced daily to launch me to the next level in my life and become the very best that I could be.
Someone needs to wake Mr. Howard from the dream that he is having and let him know that this is 2008 and just because he is White, it does not make him better. While he is wasting his energy hating, those same African-American students that he has such disdain are moving on with their lives and will someday be successful.
On the subject of Senator Obama, if Mr. Howard possessed one fourth the intelligence of Senator Obama, he would know that skin color does not make him better. People like him just can’t imagine an African-American being the President of this country. But what can you say for someone who has probably never been more than ten miles away from his home. Mr. Howard, there is a big world out there that you need to explore and see that there are more than White people living in this country. You are no better than anyone just because of the color of your skin. You are really a very sad individual that we should pity rather than scorn. Bye the way, on election day I will be one of the first persons in line to cast my ballot for Senator Obama for President of the United States.
Lastly, it is good to see that there are people (White) in Jackson County who do not share your views. They have moved on and have stopped fighting the Civil War. They judge people by their character and not the color of their skin. Again, thank you Mr. Greg Howard and all of the people who share your views. You made me very successful and rich.
He should have been fired there is no place for it in the classroom period
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