High school in turmoil over teacher's remarks

[Tiger in Spain 0]

What ever happened to teaching reading, writing, and math?

High school in turmoil over teacher's remarks

Controversial lecture thrusts Overland into national spotlight

By Kevin Vaughan and Felix Doligosa Jr., Rocky Mountain News

March 2, 2006

AURORA — Controversy over a high school teacher's comparison of President Bush to Adolf Hitler erupted into a day of turmoil Thursday — with a student protest, a threatened lawsuit and dueling talk shows.

At the center of the storm was Overland High School teacher Jay Bennish, whose lecture in a world geography class last month also included harsh words about capitalism, U.S. foreign policy and the invasion of Iraq.

At one point in a 21- minute, 40-second recording of the lecture, Bennish called America "probably the single most violent nation on planet Earth."

Bennish, who has been a teacher at Overland since 2000, has been suspended and is under investigation for violating a school district policy that requires teachers to present varying viewpoints. He has hired a lawyer and may fight back in court as early as today.

"I know about 10 federal judges who are more than willing to teach the Cherry Creek School District what the First Amendment is all about," his attorney, David Lane, said Thursday.

Lane said he expects to file a federal lawsuit as early as this morning, and that seeking a court order to return Bennish to the classroom is one option he might pursue.

He called district administrators "scared little rabbits" who bowed to pressure from parents when they suspended Bennish.

Bennish did not return a message left at his Capitol Hill apartment, and Lane said the teacher would not comment.

<snip>

School district spokeswoman Tustin Amole said that Bennish would have been within his rights to say everything he did if he also had provided opposing views.

"It appears that they were inappropriate because they didn't contain the balance," Amole said. "For example, he talks at one point about human rights. He didn't say, 'All right, that's my opinion, here's what other people have to say about it.' "

Bennish's statements ran the gamut.

He said that in Bush's State of the Union speech, the president was, in effect, "threatening the whole planet."

"Sounds a lot like the things that Adolf Hitler used to say — we're the only ones who are right, everyone else is backwards," Bennish said.

He told students he was "not saying that Bush and Hitler are exactly the same."

"But," he said, "there's some eerie similarities to the tones that they use."

He talked extensively about U.S. foreign policy and capitalism. At one point, he questioned Bush's stated belief that democracy is the solution to bloodshed in the Middle East.

"Who is probably the single most violent nation on planet Earth?" Bennish asked. "The United States of America, and we're a democracy — quote, unquote."

On capitalism, he questioned whether it did anything to provide "everybody in the world with the basic needs that they need."

"Do you see how this economic system is at odds with humanity, at odds with caring and compassion?" he asked.

<snip>

But Derek Belloni, who once had Bennish as a teacher, believes high school students are too impressionable and that the teacher's views are inappropriate.

"He is making interpretation as facts," said Belloni, an 18-year-old senior. "He's preaching politics in geography class. You don't teach math in an English class."

"He wants these kids to become liberals," he said.

<snip>

The outcry came as a surprise to the student who recorded Bennish's lecture. Sean Allen is a 16-year-old sophomore whose political upbringing has been varied — his mother is a Democrat and his father is a Republican.

But Allen found himself at the vortex of the debate Thursday — alternately reviled and hailed, unsure of whether to return to school, talking nonstop to reporters and talk show hosts.

He called it "probably one of the longer days of my life." Some people called him a "snitch" while others told him he "did the right thing." He said he made the recording because he grew tired of Bennish's lectures.

"It happened pretty much daily," he said.

Lane, Bennish's lawyer, said discourse at that level appropriately challenges students.

"The nature of his class is to put out controversial ideas and let the students respond, to teach them to think critically," Lane said. "Frequently he'll put out ideas he has absolutely no belief in whatsoever. . . . "That's the exercise in teaching them how to think critically and not accept what anybody says at face value, either the government or him."

Educator talks to students

Excerpts of comments made by Overland High School teacher Jay Bennish in a geography class Feb. 1:

Discussing President Bush's speech the previous night:

"The implication was that the solution to the violence in the Middle East is democratization. And the implication through his language was that democracies don't go to war. Democracies aren't violent. Democracies won't want weapons of mass destruction. This is called blind, naive faith in democracy. Who is probably the single most violent nation on planet Earth? (student answer — "India") The United States of America, and we're a democracy, quote, unquote. Who has the most weapons of mass destruction in the world? (student answer — unintelligible) United States. Who is continuing to develop new weapons of mass destruction as we speak? (student answer — unintelligible) United States."

•

"Now I'm not saying that Bush and Hitler are exactly the same. Obviously they're not. But there's some eerie similarities to the tones that they use. Very, very ethnocentric. We're right. You're all wrong. I just keep waiting. I mean, at some point in time I think America and Mexico might go to war again, you know? Any time Mexico plays the USA in a soccer match, what can be heard chanting all game long? (student answer — unintelligible) Pretty close. Pretty close. Now, do all Mexicans dislike the United States? No. Do all Americans dislike Mexico? No. But there's a lot of resentment, not just in Mexico, but all across the whole world, towards America right now."

•

"You need to understand something — that when al-Qaida attacked America on Sept. 11, in their view they're not attacking innocent people. The CIA had an office in the World Trade Center. The Pentagon is a military target. The White House was a military target. Congress is a military target. The World Trade Center is the economic center of our entire economy. The FBI, who tracks down terrorists and so on and so forth around the world, has offices in the World Trade Center. Some of the companies that work in the World Trade Center are these huge, multinational corporations that are directly involved in the military industrial complex, in supporting corrupt dictatorships in the Middle East. And so in the minds of al-Qaida, they're not attacking innocent people. They're attacking legitimate targets, people who have blood on their hands as far as they're concerned. We portray them as innocent because they are our friends and neighbors, family, loved ones. I mean I had one of my best friends from high school, elementary school and birth, lives in lower Manhattan. . . .

Rocky Mountain News

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

I think that teaching varying viewpoints is essential in high school, but it cannot be done in a way that is presented as fact or without an opposing view being taught. Also, commentary on current political events should be discussed, but not with such strong rhetoric.

The teacher was out of line, but I don't want schools to become a place were kids learn the basics without also getting some sort of instructions on how to use them.

[Captain Liger 0]

It's our duty as Americans to use our military to go out into the world and make everyone like us. Sounds a lot like the things Adolf Hitler used to say. We're the only ones who are right, everyone else is backwards.

A student taped his rant and I just listened to it on Fox. He wasn't presenting some sort of alternate viewpoint in a mild, relaxed tone. He sounded like an old school, heated, Southern baptist preacher telling us we're all going to hell if we don't repent.

He's way out of line, not for what he said but rather the way he presented it. But I don't suppose the students mind so much. Apparently most of them walked out in support of this dirtbag but by the looks of the students themselves, I'm not surprised.

[AUChizad 0]

I think that teaching varying viewpoints is essential in high school, but it cannot be done in a way that is presented as fact or without an opposing view being taught.  Also, commentary on current political events should be discussed, but not with such strong rhetoric. 

The teacher was out of line, but I don't want schools to become a place were kids learn the basics without also getting some sort of instructions on how to use them.

223071[/snapback]

Yeah, that's fine for a class on political theory. This has nothing to do with geography.

[AURaptor 1,126]

The class was titled *Accelerateed World Geography . In Highschool. Ok, fine, I think it was an AP class, but even so, this guys rant was completely 1 sided, and listening to the tone of the teacher's voice, I can easily see how a student, a FRESHMAN in HS, could be reluctant to speak up and voice their own opinion. In fact, that's not what was going on here, they were being lectured, indoctrinated.

And fyi, the teacher has the same lawyer representing him as represented Ward Churchill, who still teaches at C.U.

* correction

[rexbo 104]

High school is not the place for this kind of 'teaching' in a so called Cultural Geography class; a 16 to 17 year old cannot be expected to participate in a what should be a balanced presentation and discussion of the current political situation. I remember a history class in high school, the teacher was fairly conservative, and to this day one thing that sticks with me clearly is how upset he was with Jimmy Carter and the fiasco with the Iranian hostage rescue attempt (yes, I am that old); and his view points stayed with me a long time. Heck, he may be why I am so conservative to this day...

[AUloggerhead 2,252]

Critical thinking -- what makes him an expert on what al queda was thinking? The presence of an FBI office or of the CIA in the WTC was not why al queda chose to bring down the WTC. The teacher is a bone fide idoit-Ward-Churchill-wannabe. This whole moral-equivalence-of-the-9/11-hijackers viewpoint is one that makes absolutely no sense to anyone except a dyed-in-the-wool America hater. I could use his logic and say he expressed some similarities to Osama bin Laden with his diatribes. Understand that I'm not saying he's equivalent to OBL, just that "the tone of the statements each has made sound eerily familiar." ( )

What I can't understand is that he believes this enough to preach it to his students. Apparently, at least one student was tired enough of the harangues to see through the BS & actually record the lectures. That's a good sign right there that not all American youth are so gullible.

What to do about it? If I was the school principal, I would sit this guy down & say stick to the lesson plan and teach the curriculum or your gone. Leave the ad-lib political remarks for the internet blogs.

[AURaptor 1,126]

Critical thinking -- what makes him an expert on what al queda was thinking?  The presence of an FBI office or of the CIA in the WTC was not why al queda chose to bring down the WTC.  The teacher is a bone fide idoit-Ward-Churchill-wannabe.  This whole moral-equivalence-of-the-9/11-hijackers viewpoint is one that makes absolutely no sense to anyone except a dyed-in-the-wool America hater.  I could use his logic and say he expressed some similarities to Osama bin Laden with his diatribes.  Understand that I'm not saying he's equivalent to OBL, just that "the tone of the statements each has made sound eerily familiar."  ( )

   

What I can't understand is that he believes this enough to preach it to his students.  Apparently, at least one student was tired enough of the harangues to see through the BS & actually record the lectures.  That's a good sign right there that not all American youth are so gullible. 

What to do about it?  If I was the school principal, I would sit this guy down & say stick to the lesson plan and teach the curriculum or your gone.  Leave the ad-lib political remarks for the internet blogs.

223249[/snapback]

I bet OBL never even knew that the CIA had an office in the WTC. The CIA has offices in plenty of places, and certainly the WTC was not the headquarters for the CIA. And while this pin head was calling the WTC, the Pentagon, White House, etc... military targets, he neatly leaves out the fact that 4 civilian airliners , full of civilians were used as weapons for OBL's holy war. Leaving out tiny details like that, and he calls himself a teacher?

[quietfan 233]

High school is not the place for this kind of 'teaching' in a so called Cultural Geography class; a 16 to 17 year old cannot be expected to participate in a what should be a balanced presentation and discussion of the current political situation. I remember a history class in high school, the teacher was fairly conservative, and to this day one thing that sticks with me clearly is how upset he was with Jimmy Carter and the fiasco with the Iranian hostage rescue attempt (yes, I am that old); and his view points stayed with me a long time.  Heck, he may be why I am so conservative to this day...

223211[/snapback]

I agree that this teacher seems to have overstepped the line. It sounds as if he was preaching his own extreme viewpoint more than trying to get his kids to look at all sides of the issue. At best, he was at least stupid to think comparing any US President to Hitler would fly in a public classroom without repercussions.

However as far as how much "critical thinking" we should expect of these students: Let's not forget that we expect them to be informed, conscientious voters by their 18th birthday! I don't think 16-17 is too early to expect them to begin learning how to "participate in a what should be a balanced presentation and discussion of the current political situation".

As far as the proper subject content of the class, if this was a "cultural geography" class then a comparison of cultures would be appropriate. A balanced discussion of Islamic cultural beliefs vs. Western beliefs would be fair game, IMHO. And that discussion might include mention of the extremes of belief in both. But such discussion must be balanced and encourage the student to make his/her own educated choices.

[back to comparisons to Hitler: Comparing anyone to Hitler in a public classroom is, at least, fraught with danger. Still, I couldn't help but noticed there seemed to be no mention of the anti-Semitism of Hitler vs. the modern extremist Muslim's hatred of Jews.]