[Mentally ill...] Wisconsin teacher who spoke out about 'Rainbowland' ban says she is being terminated

<https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/05/19/superintendent-
wants-teacher-fired-who-spoke-out-about-rainbowland/70237860007/>

First grade teacher Melissa Tempel, who spoke out about the decision of 
Waukesha Schools in Wisconsin to ban "Rainbowland" by Miley Cyrus and 
Dolly Parton from a spring concert, said the district's superintendent has 
recommended she be terminated from her job.

Tempel said she was informed on Monday by superintendent James Sebert. In 
an email, Sebert told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a member of the USA 
TODAY Network, on Wednesday that he was unable to comment on the personnel 
matter.

The recommendation is in the wake of the school's decision to ban 
"Rainbowland," which has caught the attention of national media outlets, a 
Cyrus' nonprofit, and even former President Barack Obama, who followed 
Tempel on Twitter shortly after she spoke out.

Tempel is currently on leave from the district after being placed on leave 
on April 3. At the time, Sebert referred the Journal Sentinel to an 
assistant superintendent responsible for human resources, who declined to 
comment.

Sebert's recommendation would require approval from the Waukesha School 
Board. The Journal Sentinel contacted Kelly Piacsek, the school board's 
president, but did not immediately get a response.

Last month, Wisconsin state school superintendent Jill Underly sent a 
letter to Sebert and the school board saying she was "deeply troubled by 
the harm caused" by the district's decision to ban the song, and that the 
district should reverse course on its decision to enforce its 
Controversial Issues in the Classroom policy.

The policy, according to a letter Sebert sent in 2021, bans the use of 
Pride, Black Lives Matter, Thin Blue Line and "any other posters or 
materials to the such" from classrooms. Sebert said the decision to ban 
the song was because it violated the policy.

Sebert also said in March the decision to pull the song was based on 
"whether it was appropriate for the age and maturity level of the 
students" and because of "social or personal impacts" on them.

Underly, in her letter, stated, "Whether you realize it or not, you are, 
under the guise of protection, causing undue harm to students and staff. 
However, this damage is reversible. It is paramount that you change course 
now."

"The decisions you have made as district leaders have intensified the 
stressors our teachers feel and helped create and continue to perpetuate a 
toxic environment," she wrote.

Underly's letter led to a response from Sebert and state Republican 
lawmakers who said Underly needs to be mindful of local control.

"As a former School Superintendent yourself, you know how critically 
important local control is for Boards and administrators to meet the 
varied needs in their communities," Sebert wrote back to Underly. "As the 
State Superintendent, you likely realize that with over 400 school 
districts in Wisconsin, one size does not fit all on any given topic."

Four Waukesha County state legislators — Rep. Scott Allen, Rep. Adam 
Neylon, Sen. Chris Kapenga and Sen. Rob Hutton — sent a letter to Underly 
as well, saying they were "proud" of the school district and its actions. 
"Your letter also undermines local control," the lawmakers added.

Wisconsin teacher says removing her from the classroom has been 
'traumatic' for her students
Tempel said a district administrator told her she should not speak with 
other staff, students, parents or members of the public about her leave, 
but when she found out on Monday that she was recommended to be terminated 
from her job she decided to release a statement.

Tempel released the statement through the Alliance for Education in 
Waukesha, Wisconsin, a group of parents who in April said they are seeking 
a state Department of Justice investigation into Sebert, accusing him of 
discrimination of LGBTQ+ students and staff following a series policy 
changes and actions.

Former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin James Santelle 
said in April that he advised the alliance and suggested filing a federal 
civil rights lawsuit against the administration, saying district policies 
violate the First Amendment.

In her statement, Tempel said removing her from the classroom had a 
"harmful" and "traumatic" impact on the students at Heyer Elementary 
School.

"My students’ parents, many of whom speak Spanish, did not receive any 
information about my absence or when I would return, even when they asked 
for it directly," Tempel wrote. "As recently as last week some of them 
didn’t know that I was placed on administrative leave.

"This is not normal procedure during a teacher’s absence and doesn’t 
prioritize the emotional or academic well being of my students. ... It 
will take me a long time to process how cruel the District’s actions were 
to those families and the chilling effect my termination will have on any 
other educators in the Waukesha Community."

Tempel said she has been a teacher for 23 years. "I have been consistently 
held up as a model educator," she wrote. "I am an award winning, National 
Board Certified Teacher who was rated 'distinguished educator' by my 
administrators for three years in a row. Last year, I was named 
Outstanding Educator by Wisconsin Badgers Athletics and WEAC. I have never 
had disciplinary action taken against me.

"I remain committed to the work I have done throughout my life and career, 
both inside and outside the classroom, as an activist, advocate, and ally. 
I believe we need to have conversations in our communities about how to 
make sure our schools are inclusive spaces where our students feel safe 
and can focus on learning."

Tempel said she will be pursuing a "First Amendment claim," but it's 
unclear if that will be a federal lawsuit.


-- 
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that 
stupid people won't be offended.

Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem.  It has none.

No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.  
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.

Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden 
fiasco, President Trump.  

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the 
The World According To Garp.  Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood 
queer liberal democrat donors.

President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed 
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.