11/23/24
January 24, 2006
Beaver Falls Student Humiliated By Teacher: If you're going to wear the opponents jersey in school, be prepared to catch hell for it. This is a just bit too much though.
A station that starts with a "K" EAST of the Mississippi? I was under the impression that stations (TV and radio) east of the Mississippi always started with a "W" and west of the Mississippi started with a "K". Have I been lied to? It matters because my mind was reeling over the fact that some western US school would give a crap about a kid wearing a Broncos jersey. See, Denver is out West...and...aww, forget it.
posted by NoMich at 05:03 PM on January 24, 2006
NoMich, check this out.
posted by deadcowdan at 05:50 PM on January 24, 2006
This story is so thin I have trouble taking it seriously. The reporter, who was the king of cheesy exposes while I lived in Dallas, takes one student's claim with no corroboration and runs with it.
posted by rcade at 05:59 PM on January 24, 2006
Jeez-o-man....and I thought it was hard to be an Eagles fan.
posted by GoBirds at 06:03 PM on January 24, 2006
I don't get it. Joe Namath is from Beaver Falls. I thought that was Jets country.
posted by drevl at 06:10 PM on January 24, 2006
I read the title as Beaver Falls (for) Student Humiliated By Teacher, which confused me. The reporter also needs to learn how to spell.
posted by squealy at 06:14 PM on January 24, 2006
This story is so thin I have trouble taking it seriously. The alternative is that the story is so outrageous that it's hard to believe that he made it up. Considering there would be many other students in the class to refute his story, I'd be surprised that he'd make it up. And if it is false, wouldn't you think someone else in the class would have said SOMETHING by now?
posted by grum@work at 06:23 PM on January 24, 2006
Hey teacher, WTF?? Sincerely, Reality
posted by gspm at 06:33 PM on January 24, 2006
And if it is false, wouldn't you think someone else in the class would have said SOMETHING by now? Is this such a big story? Maybe nobody asked or more likely nobody gives a fuck.
posted by squealy at 06:39 PM on January 24, 2006
NoMich: A station that starts with a "K" EAST of the Mississippi? I was under the impression that stations (TV and radio) east of the Mississippi always started with a "W" and west of the Mississippi started with a "K". Have I been lied to? Nope, NoMich. KDKA was the first radio station (as we now know it) in the United States, hitting the airwaves in Pittsburgh in 1920, broadcasting the incoming results of the presidential race between Warren G. Harding and James Cox. The policy about "K" and "W" came after KDKA. In many major media markets (among them Kansas City, MO and Dallas, TX), there are "W" and "K" stations where they, according to the new rules, shouldn't be. From the KDKA radio site: Many people ask if our call letters "stand for" anything. The simple answer is: no. KDKA's license - - the first radio license ever - - was issued October 27, 1920. The call letters "KDKA" were assigned from a roster maintained to provide identification for ships and marine shore stations, these being the only regular radio services then in operation under formal license by the Federal Government. When it came time to finalize the license, "KDKA" was simply the next set of call letters on the list. Westinghouse, the electronic giant that battled rival General Electric (parent company of NBC) for broadcasting supremacy, operated KDKA for decades until the corporation was acquired by the Viacom media conglomerate that owns and operates CBS. Westinghouse also operated further-east Philadelphia station KYW. So now you know.
posted by L.N. Smithee at 07:02 PM on January 24, 2006
Thanks guys. Now I got a Fishbone song stuck in my head. Which is a good thing.
posted by NoMich at 07:04 PM on January 24, 2006
ninjavshippo: i like that it was the "ethnic relations" teacher too, someone expected to be schooled in the importance of tolerance. should cost him his job and probably a lawsuit I wonder about the ethnicity of the teacher; as someone who, judging from the title of the class, is schooling others about how people's color is not an excuse for discrimination and mistreatment, how can the school retain an educator who (presuming the story is factual) singled a student out for ridicule because he wore the navy blue of the Denver Broncos?
posted by L.N. Smithee at 07:11 PM on January 24, 2006
Better than having a Fishbone song stuck in yer throat.
posted by GoBirds at 07:12 PM on January 24, 2006
"These are the voices of modern industry....these are the voices, these are the voices..."
posted by L.N. Smithee at 07:13 PM on January 24, 2006
Where is Beaver Falls?
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:01 PM on January 24, 2006
Where is Beaver Falls? I'm guessing on the ice outside a Victoria's Secret.
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:04 PM on January 24, 2006
As having kids myself, who like teams from outside the area that we live in (Seattle), I believe that teacher should not be teaching children in the Pittsburgh area, but in the frozen tundra of Alaska where they have no professional teams other than fish tossing. The story does sound one sided, but the student probably took the initiative and called the TV station. And deadcowdan, nice link about the radio licenses
posted by d10llumpire at 08:10 PM on January 24, 2006
Beaver Falls is in western PA very close to Pittsburgh. I think people take being a fan a little too far sometimes. It's fun to cheer for your teams and all that, but as a teacher, you have to know your place.
posted by the don at 09:07 PM on January 24, 2006
I know there is no excuse for what happened but I wonder if the kid said or did anything to push the teacher into acting in that way. No excuse for what happened, just wondering what the whole story might be?
posted by Steeler_Fan at 09:31 PM on January 24, 2006
how in the world can anyone take a thing like that so serious when it is only a game.it doesnt put any money in our pockets i guess if u bet it does but this is just a kid. leave him alone if the kids razz him thats fine however the teacher should stay out of it.
posted by murph@sbcglobal.net at 10:16 PM on January 24, 2006
I'm guessing on the ice outside a Victoria's Secret No, dude, it's actually close to Pittsburgh...Oh wait, that's a joke. I'm telling you, man, nobody pays attention to one liners here. So keep 'em coming.
posted by tselson at 10:32 PM on January 24, 2006
This "teacher" should be on paid leave pending an investigation and if there is any veracity to the charges, they should instigate termination. With the Bears out of it, I reallly didn't much care about the Superbowl, but now I have a cause, I'm going for Seattle
posted by tortugagrande at 12:17 AM on January 25, 2006
“I'm in the national honor society,” Vannoy said. “I have a 3.8 average. I work hard to go to a good college.” The teacher was just preparing him for frat life. "GET ON THE FLOOR!"
posted by Sailor at 01:14 AM on January 25, 2006
Glad I'm not in school these days...especially after the NFC championship game. I live in South Carolina and have been a Seahawks fan since they came into the league. I expect someone to trash my truck, though...since it clearly shows my support for Seattle. It's little consolation to other people around here that I would've pulled for the Panthers in the Super Bowl if they had defeated the Seahawks. Almost makes me wish they had a consolation game for Denver and Carolina.....ALMOST.
posted by DeepSouth at 01:46 AM on January 25, 2006
Wonder where the teacher stands on student hazing? We've had a couple of other instances in the state. Your right the teacher should be fired if he did it, not just for the hazing, but he's obviously stupid!
posted by Pa Winemaker at 04:14 AM on January 25, 2006
This so called teacher should be fired!!!!!!!!!!!1
posted by ADDNJDMAD at 06:47 AM on January 25, 2006
Very mature attitude by this teacher, regardless of what his version of the story is. Sounds as if he needs to grow up. The education system doesn't need idiots like this and needs to weed them out. A few good-natured comments is one thing, but harrassing a kid while he's taking a test and allowing others in the class to join in is unacceptable.
posted by dyams at 07:20 AM on January 25, 2006
i actually think we need more teachers like this guy it would better prepare our children for the ridicule their going to receive in life and also teach children to be more of a member of the pack and be a follower as opposed to being a leader which is what our government wants are school systems to do churn out a bunch of idiots ......im moving to europe
posted by humans1 at 07:44 AM on January 25, 2006
It never bothered me getting razzings from teachers and students. Being a Devils fan in Flyers territory I got used to it. The kid should be allowed to retake the test and the teacher should be suspended a week w/o pay but not fired. Let's face it, we are all guilty of teasing fans of teams we do not like. However, maybe the kid is making the story up because he did so poorly on the test.
posted by njsk8r20 at 08:33 AM on January 25, 2006
This is more than likely another press blowup of something that blew up in the kid's face. Back in the dark ages, when there were only 6 teams in the NHL and a few more than twice that many in the NFL, and the AFL was a seperate league, kids often got beat up for wearing a wrong jersey. Teachers would tell them to go home and change, because team jerseys were not allowed to be worn to school, unless it was Homecoming weekend and you were on the football team. If any restraint were shown in this, it would be imposed to the chagrin of parents who don't bother to look at their kids and what they wear to school, which also explains boys wearing pants so loose their boxers show, and girls showing more cleavage and midriff than swimsuit models at a porno show. It's ridiculous that these parents are the first to sue the schools, when the problem is really their own lack of parental effort to control their kids.
posted by mrhockey at 08:47 AM on January 25, 2006
Where is Beaver Falls? Check this out. http://football.about.com/cs/legends/p/joenamath.htm
posted by drevl at 09:03 AM on January 25, 2006
"Hey, teacher leave those kids alone! All in all you're just another brick in the wall."
posted by chris2sy at 09:17 AM on January 25, 2006
So was that the Floyd version or the rip from Korn?
posted by Shants at 10:19 AM on January 25, 2006
It's ridiculous that these parents are the first to sue the schools, when the problem is really their own lack of parental effort to control their kids. Amen brother. One more reason for public schools to issue uniforms.
posted by njsk8r20 at 10:23 AM on January 25, 2006
Yeah but I don't think that the school uniform, or lack ther of, is really the issue. A teacher would have told me to sit on the floor for something like that... I would have smiled, politely refused and went on with the day. If it persisted then would have taken other actions. The parenting skills should have came in by teaching the kid a little self respect and not to let others push you around. Do I think the teacher was in the wrong? Of course, and I'm a die hard Steelers fan all the way from Southern Cal. But I think the kid almost helped the issue (almost) by actually taking a seat on the ground...
posted by Shants at 10:35 AM on January 25, 2006
Threatening a straight A student with failure is like putting a gun to there head. Now I wouldn't have sat on the floor either but I wasn't exactly valedictorian.
posted by tron7 at 10:39 AM on January 25, 2006
kinda stupid on the kids part for wearing a Bronco jersey to school just 2 days before the AFC Title game!! What did he think was going to happen?! A pat on the back?? Still, the teacher was even more of an idiot, let the kids do the razzing and keep your mouth shut. I went to school in western PA, it's 'kid thing' and the teacher sould have known better!!!!
posted by idahosteelergirl at 10:52 AM on January 25, 2006
What did he think was going to happen?! A pat on the back?? I'm guessing he thought that at least he'd be able to take the test like everybody else.
posted by chicobangs at 12:40 PM on January 25, 2006
The first statement of the post by dbt302 is ridiculous. Its not the "opponents" jersey, and if it is, what position does the teacher play?
posted by the don at 01:09 PM on January 25, 2006
CNN story Quote from Link:
Kelly said Vannoy, a junior at Beaver Area Senior High School, just didn't get the joke. "If he felt uncomfortable, then that's a lesson; that's what [the class] is designed to do," Kelly told The Denver Post. "It was silly fun. I can't believe he was upset."Dude, in our school's harrasment training, they take great pains to point out that harrasment has nothing to do with intent and everything to do with perception. Legally, the teacher is screwed, the school is screwed and the school district is screwed if this kid chooses to pursue this. A teacher teaching this subject should ESPECIALLY know that and take extra pains to prevent his students from feeling harassed. There's this thing called "leading by example..."
posted by Joey Michaels at 06:53 PM on January 25, 2006
Nobody mentioned the teacher's name. It's none other than MEAN JOE GREENE!!
posted by Desert Dog at 07:42 PM on January 25, 2006
I'm guessing he thought that at least he'd be able to take the test like everybody else. Kids these days...
posted by justgary at 01:37 PM on January 26, 2006
kid seems like a typical nerdy whipping boy and it seems like the teacher thought he could get in on the action too. i like that it was the "ethnic relations" teacher too, someone expected to be schooled in the importance of tolerance. should cost him his job and probably a lawsuit. also, have to love the production value of the local newscast.