Ignorance in a School Setting

Considering that I am about to enter into the education profession I thought I would say a little something about Judy Peet’s article “Lesbian Sues School District over Harassment.” When I finished reading this article I was angry. How can a school district be completely oblivious to what was happening to Nancy Wadington and the discrimination she was facing on a daily basis? It is beyond my comprehension. I believe that in a case like this everyone in charge of the daily activities and maintenance of that school, including the superintendent, principal, teachers, aids, etc. should all be held accountable. There is no way that in a school, which in my estimation is one of the best and most common places for social interaction between students, that not a single person overheard or saw something that pertained to Nancy and her situation. Furthermore, for those who knew what was going on to not speak up and at least inform a teacher, who by all accounts can keep his/her sources confidential and hidden so they wouldn’t out the person who came forward and provided the information, makes me question the state of our educational system. We have all been in high schools and know that kids talk and not to mention that just about every teacher at one time or another throughout the day hears what the new “topic of conversation” is. Teachers need to understand that it is their job not only to educate their students, but also make sure they are in a safe environment. Parents trust schools to protect and watch over their son or daughter 5 days a week for 7+ hours a day. Therefore, when teachers and administrators turn their backs on the students and don’t provide a safe haven for them to come and learn they are jeopardizing the welfare of all students.


One aspect of the situation that I found astonishing was the fact that the principal during the time Wadington was a student has since left the district (297). How ironic that the person in charge of running the school and making sure it operates in accordance to what is best for the students and making sure everyone is safe, left the school after news of Nancy’s situation was revealed. It begs the question of whether or not because Nancy was a lesbian if she wasn’t discriminated against beyond just what the other students did to her. I believe that each and every person in that school district discriminated against Nancy and I was glad that her family sued the district. When discrimination turns violent like it did for Nancy when it was reported she was pushed down a flight of stairs and also her personal property tampered with and destroyed someone needs to have the courage to step in and intervene. Teachers and administrators are adults who are suppose to know the difference between right and wrong and to hear a story like this, as I’ve said before, makes me question a lot of the credentials of the people in that particular school district. In closing I just want to say that as a future teacher it is my responsibility as an employee and person of power in a school district to ensure that the rights of all students are being upheld and if I see or hear of discrimination going on take it to a higher level to make sure what happened to Nancy doesn’t happen to other students. Nancy is forever scared by her high school experience, which is suppose to be the best time of a persons life and for a lot of kids is the worst.

Brian Pullyblank