This story still blows my mind. One would think that other teachers as well as parents would be outraged at the inanity of a a teacher being suspended for having flags of different countries in her or his classroom.
This instance illustrates not only the severe lack of commonsense amongst some school folks, but more importantly, it points up the lack of academic freedom for K-12 teachers.
View the video story from 9news.com here and note that at least one other metro Denver school has a huge display of foreign flags. Makes one wonder about the Jefferson County Public Schools’ claim that the Hamlin case is merely about “insubordination.”
Eric Hamlin was suspended after refusing to take down three foreign flags.
Flag flap teacher will move
By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News
August 26, 2006
Carmody Middle School geography teacher Eric Hamlin will be reassigned to another school, at his request, following a dispute over foreign flags in his classroom, Jefferson County school officials said Friday.
Hamlin has decided that his presence at Carmody would be divisive, the district said.
Hamlin, who taught seventh grade at the Lakewood school, was suspended with pay Wednesday after he refused to take down three foreign flags that he had hung in his room. The principal believed that Hamlin was in violation of a Colorado law barring the display of foreign flags in state buildings.
School district officials concluded that Hamlin’s display fell under an educational exception to the state foreign flag law. But Hamlin had hinted Thursday that he might not feel welcome at Carmody because some workers there resented the media attention he brought to the school.
Hamlin had been with the district for nine years, but was on his first day of a new assignment at Carmody when the flag issue arose. Hamlin could not be reached for comment Friday.
A statement by the district quoted him as saying, “I want to do what’s in the best interest of the Carmody family which includes the students and my fellow teachers. It is my hope that Carmody will move forward towards a successful school year, and put this incident behind them.”
The district will seek another assignment for Hamlin. Meanwhile, he remains on paid leave.
Jefferson County school district spokeswoman Lynn Setzer said a new assignment for Hamlin could open within a few days as administrators determine where more teachers are needed for the new semester.
The flap started when Carmody Principal John Schalk determined that Hamlin was violating the law. Schalk is not being reprimanded, Setzer said.
Copyright 2006, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.
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