TheAgitator.com
Gary Tripp: Ass
Thursday, May 20th, 2004Bill Nevins, a New Mexico high school teacher….was fired last year and classes in poetry and the poetry club at Rio Rancho High School were permanently terminated. It had nothing to do with obscenity……The “Slam Team” was a group of teenage poets who asked Nevins to serve as faculty adviser to their club. The teens, mostly shy youngsters, were taught to read their poetry aloud and before audiences. Rio Rancho High School gave the Slam Team access to the school’s closed-circuit television once a week and the poets thrived.
In March 2003, a teenage girl named Courtney presented one of her poems before an audience at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Albuquerque, then read the poem live on the school’s closed-circuit television channel.
A school military liaison and the high school principal accused the girl of being “un-American” because she criticized the war in Iraq and the Bush administration’s failure to give substance to its “No child left behind” education policy.
The girl’s mother, also a teacher, was ordered by the principal to destroy the child’s poetry. The mother refused and may lose her job.
Bill Nevins was suspended for not censoring the poetry of his students. Remember, there is no obscenity to be found in any of the poetry. He was later fired by the principal.
After firing Nevins and terminating the teaching and reading of poetry in the school, the principal and the military liaison read a poem of their own as they raised the flag outside the school. When the principal had the flag at full staff, he applauded the action he’d taken in concert with the military liaison.
Then to all students and faculty who did not share his political opinions, the principal shouted: “Shut your faces.” What a wonderful lesson he gave those 3,000 students at the largest public high school in New Mexico. In his mind, only certain opinions are to be allowed.
But more was to come. Posters done by art students were ordered torn down, even though none was termed obscene. Some were satirical, implicating a national policy that had led us into war. Art teachers who refused to rip down the posters on display in their classrooms were not given contracts to return to the school in this current school year.
The columnist doesn’t name the principal, so I will. Per the school’s website, his name is Gary Tripp.
What an ass you are, Gary Tripp.
Thanks to reader Jason VanBruaene for the tip.
UPDATE: Here’s the poem that lit Tripp’s fire. Hig & Run commenters are dogging the girl for being an awful poet. Okay. But that’s not really the point. Also, she’s in high school.
Just in case anyone needs this…
Mr Ass’s e-mail is
cedebaca@rrhs.rrps.k12.nm.us
Hopefully, the teachers who were fired and the students will be calling the ACLU. Can you say “unconstitutional”?
(I’m assuming it was a public school)
we got to get this guy on queer eye!
For some reason this seems hard to believe. Having been born and raised on the other side of the Iron Curtain this brings back really bad memories. Is this for real? Is the reporter sure he has all the facts? I mean this is so blatant. I remember being caught with western literature and being given as a bad example while I was serving in the Army in eastern Europe (f*ing political officer found it while I was out on guard duty). Night in the brig and I got off easy. OK. I better stop now…
did you look at the website? look at all of that administration! no wonder public schools are so wastefull and Mr. Tripp has so much time on his hands.
Based on this account, Tripp obviously overreacted miserably, but to be a bit contrarian, the girl shouldnt have been given a taxpayer sponsored platform on which to protest in the first place.
we need to get the government out of education right now.
I suppose that being a Republican for most of my life led me to believe that all of the irrational, dogmatic, unprincipled sheep in the world were Democrats and liberals. Having abandoned the Republicans and being, today, adamantly opposed to both parties, I realize now that the unthinking masses populate all political groups. I mean, I knew that before, too, but I guess when you’re part of a group, you forget that your fellow group members can be just as despicable as the members of any other group.
I’m an independent for the rest of my life. My principles and conscience thank me for it.
Ross, I think to point out that she was given a taxpayer sponsored platform completely undermines the unconstitionality of it all. The fact that it is a public school is what makes the principal’s actions unconstitutional. If it were a private school that received no public funds, the principal could do whatever he wanted.
What was the girl’s poem? Anyone have the text?
Hey, guys, c’mon, it’s not that bad. I mean, it’s not like he’s Hitler, right?
Here’s the link:
http://www.ucimc.org/newswire/display/11289/index.php
What say we all give his e-mail address a good sign-up for porn e-zines? I’m sure a man of his moral character would appreciate it:
cedebaca@rrhs.rrps.k12.nm.us
Here’s a good place to start:
http://www.freeezinebucks.com/ps.php?s=1&u=jjprodmast1&pg=1
If this is the real story, then that is a legal defense fund I would contribute to. After reading that article though, I get the feeling that a little something is being left out, but inspite of that, it still sounds like this guy (Tripp) has violated some rights.
So, Ross, let me see if I read you right. Forcing a child to go to school violates her rights, but allowing her to express her opinions while there violates ours?
By the way is Gary any relation to Linda?
I don’t think that e-mail address works any longer; my flame was returned. Maybe he can’t stand criticism of his disdain for free speech. That would make sense, wouldn’t it?
I like her poem.
The school has a military liason?
I live in Albuquerque and this story is true. Actually we have had quite a number of similar incidents with students and teachers getting suspended, criticised, fired, etc etc etc for criticising the war and the administration.
I have not been blogging on these incidents bcse they are just too embarassing.. I sometimes prefer it when you all don’t even realize that there is a state between Texas and Arizona - though when I encounter surprise that there is a state of New Mexico I always shudder.
On the school’s website, you can click on that sidebar, and there’s a “feedback” link that sends your message in a form.
I wouldn’t bother using the school website feedback form…the principal and the ROTC boss (military liaison?) will just censor your comments.
One can call if their email is down… certainly several phhone numbers on the page:
http://www.rrps.k12.nm.us/rrhs/ADMIN_CONTACTS/index.htm
There’s a “New” Mexico now?
Richard,
Gracias. Y si, usamos dolares como ustedes, y no es necesario tener un pasaporte para visitarnos. Comprende?
I get the strangest questions from the home office (I telecommute) like these:
“Do you get paid in dollars of pesos?”
“Do you have to speak Spanish?”
“You need a passport to go there right?”
And my personal MOST FAVORITE:
“How’s the weather in Phoenix?”
Ugh.
Instead of playing X-Box or worrying about the next Brittany Spears album, here is a group of kids that not only enjoy poetry but show that they are actually paying attention to their society, current events and their future. And they run smack into a bunch of Nazi’s.
I hate New Mexico Nazi’s.
The really sad thing is that these kids are going to associate conservativism with tyranny for the rest of their lives because of two idiots.
Bad poetry and worse politics, but Jesus, a person absolutely has a right to say everything she said. “I disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it”–some Founding Father, maybe Jefferson?
The really good thing is that these kids are going to associate conservativism with tyranny for the rest of their lives because of two ultra-conservative idiots.
True conservatism is nothing like tyranny, conservatism at it’s heart simply means sticking strictly to the doctrine of the constitution. Use additional government “conservatively” and let the people handle themselves as much as possible. The conservatives are supposed to be the ones that are most vigilant about the separation of church and state (keeping school sponsored prayer out of public schools) and the freedom of speech (not censoring student poetry). These people in New Mexico are not conservatives in any way.
Politicians have endeavored to blur the distinction between political conservatism and social. Socially, liberals are more tolerant of alternatives and conservatives are not. Politically, conservatives believe in increasing the power of the government sparingly, while the liberals want to increase it very…liberally.
The way this relates to Republicans and Democrats is also a blur. I am a republican by basic philosophy, but Bush wanting a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage is not conservative, it is very liberal. The constitution should not be altered for any but the most monumental reasons. Whether you agree or disagree with what the amendment would accomplish, don’t agree to give that power up to the government, they have more than they should already.
In short, haha, unless you feel the constitution is a tyrannical document, don’t equate conservatism with tryanny.
MattG — might have been Voltaire.
Irishpeggy:
The school has a military liason?
I was wondering the same…
In fairness to her poem, Slam really needs to be performed to be fully appreciated. It’s not so much the rhyme or meter of the words, but also the use of inflection and also silence… much like the use of white space in print design.
Since when did highschools have “military liaisons?”
First curious note: The ACLU has refused to become involved. That lends a little weight to the “more to this than meets the eye” argument.
Second: Timeframe. This happened last year. Why the delay in getting the news out? And it has been pointed out that the reporter who did the article is a personal friend of the fired teacher. Possible bias?
Third: The girl herself stated that she was called into the office to present her poem. It was checked for profanity and incitement to violence and neither was found.
Fourth: Nevins was not fired for refusing to censor a student’s poem. He was fired for his student appearing at an unauthorized event. This could have led to serious liability issues for the school district.
I have seen reports concerning this over the last few days, and each one seems to add more and more “facts” to the story. Did the girl’s mother censor her child - and if not, what if anything happened to her?
There seem to be a number of unanswered questions to be addressed. If this girl was punished in any way for her poetry then the school administration is deserving of every brickbat they get thrown at them. But I, for one, would like more information before jumping to such conclusions. Seems to me the press also ran wild over the “facts” in the Tawana Brawley case. Excuse me if I have become sceptical of press reports. Its not as if any reporters have been caught making up stories or anything - right? I will hold off on getting severely pissed until I am sure of what I am pissed about and at who to direct it.
Jim, how dare you bring us down with logic and lucidity! We were ranting against injustice dammit!
Yeah Jim,
How dare you introduce facts here. What are you a nazi? or just and ultra-conservative tyrant.
Anyone care to mention for what paper/magazine the teacher wrote. Green Left Weekly. Anybody think he might have been pushing HIS anti-war rhetoric onto the young and impressionable minds. Maybe this guy was creating a mutiny in the school. That doesn’t mean the principal is not an idiot still, but I’m sure there are more factors to it then what we have read and heard.
Chris, thanks for elaborating. You and I know that this principal is not a traditional conservative, but since the kids see that he is (allegedly) doing these tyrannical things all in the name of saving face for Bush (unbeknownst to Bush), then they are going to end up hating the right and veering left. Sadly, for no good reason.
Unfortunately, you are correct Ms. Danni.
These kids will think that the actions of this principal/school accurately represent the fundamental philosophy of the right, and they do not.
Luckily, they will get good, sound information about the conservative/right when they get to college. This country’s college professors all provide straight information on both sides without bias.
(he says, dripping with sarcasm)
Aaaaahhhh!!
The poem was interesting. But, she’s not Gen X. She’s Gen Y. There are only 17 million Gen Xers in the USofA, so it really doesn’t matter how pissed off we get, we’re never going to get much of a say in things.
We don’t have enough dollars or political power. That’s why it is very important for Gen X teachers/parents to pass on our values to Gen Y and our own offspring, most of whom are yet to be named by Marketers.
Garth - Sounds like we should be concerning ourselves with teaching geography instead of censorship, or even abstinence-only, eh?
I’m with Jim on this one, I think. It’s the kind of story that, if told properly, is quick to inflame. If it’s told Properly, however, we may find our anger was unjustified.
Need more data.
“So, Ross, let me see if I read you right. Forcing a child to go to school violates her rights, but allowing her to express her opinions while there violates ours?”
Actually, no. Forcing taxpayers to support a system in which views inimical to their own are disseminated and endorsed is a violation of their rights. to paraphrase a well known jefferson quote,”To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrranical.”
while this administrators handling of this incident sounds egregious, it hardly seems out of place considering the totalitarian nature of the enterprise which he has chosen as a career.
now, if i could just find that tinfoil hat. . .
ross:
The question then becomes which is the more deplorable violation of rights: the taxpayer money being used to fund the views of someone they don’t agree with, or the suppression of free speech?
Besides that, since so many different views and races and cultures are all a part of the school system, and since they all contribute tax money to it, how is one to decide if the views presented by students are being used inappropriately?
It seems to me that the only fair thing would be to not endorse anything–but also not SUPPRESS anything, either (sans inappropriate content, which is another can of worms). This way there is no partisanship or intolerance.
And now I disappear– *POOF*
John
narphonax.com
how do you effectively teach without endorsing anything?
the whole system needs to be done away with. thats the point.
Ross comments:
“Based on this account, Tripp obviously overreacted miserably, but to be a bit contrarian, the girl shouldnt have been given a taxpayer sponsored platform on which to protest in the first place.”
But the government uses tax funding to promote itself, its ideas, its wars, etc. She was just playing by “public” rules–using other people’s money to finance your own agenda.
I’m Glad I Don’t Go To This School
The Agitator writes about a public high school that nobody should be forced to attend and no taxpayer should be forced to finance. It is also the largest public school in New Mexico. Free speech not allowed. Bill Nevins was
Garth - I grew up in Hawaii, and believe me, I know what you mean. I used to nearly scream every time someone told me
“we don’t ship internationally”,
or “where can I exchange my money once I get there”
or best of all, “Wow, you speak really good English!”.
I also used to have a (fairly petty) habit of chewing out companies who claimed to offer service “nationwide” or “anywhere in the country” when they really meant “anywhere in the contiguous 48 states”.
Cyclo and Garth - Imagine my surprise when I visited a US classroom during my days as an elementary student in KSA.
“Saudi Arabia? Is that in Tennessee?”
No, it’s a little closer to Egypt.
“Really?!?! I’ve never heard of it!”
And that was the TEACHER talking, folks.
I used to tell people that I lived in a tent, rode a camel to school (where we wrote in the sand for lack of paper) and enjoyed the entertainments of the local Bedouin folk in the evenings. They believed me. I of course was cruel and chose not to enlighten them. Making them look like asses was so much more fun.
/Off-topic ramble
Jim, you said
> But I, for one, would like more information before jumping to such conclusions.
Try http://www1.law.ucla.edu/~volokh/blog_data/nevins.pdf
That lists many more details, though from the teacher’s side.
(Sadly, it has many typos and syntax errors, starting with suing “RIO RANCHO PUCLIC SCHOOLS.”)
> First curious note: The ACLU has refused to become involved.
Really? Points 77 and 78 say “Plantiff associated with the ACLU” and “advised Plantiff, through the ACLU”, so they were involved. Point 77 also says “The attorney contacted the District on behalf of the Plaintiff.” My interpretation is the ACLU recommended this attorney to him.
> That lends a little weight to the “more to this than meets the eye” argument.
Why? The ACLU has finite resources. They can’t defend every case with Constitutional implications. What if they suggested a good pro bono attorney instead?
> Second: Timeframe. This happened last year. Why the delay in getting the news out?
No idea. Maybe the old place still makes slanderous comments (point 93) or says the reasons for dismissal aren’t 1st admendment related? Maybe it takes time to get your life together after being fired for standing up to your beliefs?
What do you think is the appropriate time limit?
> And it has been pointed out that the reporter who did the article is a personal friend of the fired teacher. Possible bias?
Are the facts incorrect? If not, what’s the bias?
> Third: The girl herself stated that she was called into the office to present her poem. It was checked for profanity and incitement to violence and neither was found.
This took place the day after the reading. (Point 30 says the reading was on Feb. 20, 2003. Point 36 says that’s when the investigation occured.) It doesn’t list who of the staff was in charge of deciding if something could be read over the “traditional free speech forum” (point 30).
> Fourth: Nevins was not fired for refusing to censor a student’s poem. He was fired for his student appearing at an unauthorized event. This could have led to serious liability issues for the school district.
Point 71 - “… Plantiff forwarded copies of the field trip forms that were allegedly never approved, or that in some way Plaintiff neglected to get the appropraite approval.”
Point 72 (my favorite) - “In fact, the forms reflected Defendant Tripp’s signature of approval.” Tripp, the principal, is the one who fired the Plaintiff and who said (it is claimed)
“whoever approved this should be horsewhipped.”
> I have seen reports concerning this over the last few days, and each one seems to add more and more “facts” to the story.
I’m having a hard time finding more details about this. The ABQ Journal is subscriber only and the Santa Fe New Mexican doesn’t find any relevant hits for “nevis” for the last 1.5 years, and Google news doesn’t find anything, and I can’t find anything relevant in Google or Teoma searches.
> Did the girl’s mother censor her child - and if not, what if anything happened to her?
How is that relevant? Oh, I see. Radley Balko’s comment above says the mother was a teacher at the school. Point 37 says “the student’s father, also a teacher at the Defendant school”.
> There seem to be a number of unanswered questions to be addressed.
And they are …. ?
> If this girl was punished in any way for her poetry then the school administration is deserving of every brickbat they get thrown at them.
“In any way”? Point 60 - “the students decided to quit the team after [the Assistant Principal] spoke with them and questioned them about their poetry”.
Is that a form of punishment? The suit doesn’t list much in the way of punishment but then the girl isn’t a Plaintiff.
Point 70 - “the administration passed a rule banning poems from being read over the school intercom.” Point 86 - “the military liaison … publically read a poem written by a soldier instructing those expressing a desire for peace to ’shut their faces.’” Point 78 - “Defendant Tripp, despite claiming to screen all activities, did not screen what was going to be read at that event.”
Was that a form of punishment, in essense saying “you did wrong and don’t ever do it again because what you said is a thought crime”?
> But I, for one, would like more information before jumping to such conclusions.
And I would like to see the Defendants’ response.
> Second: Timeframe. This happened
> last year. Why the delay in getting
> the news out?
Here is a report dated Sept 2003:
http://www.krqe.com/archives/archiveexpanded.asp?RECORD_KEY%5BContent%5D=ID&ID%5BContent%5D=1595
Here is another AP report dated Sept 2003:
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=11940
Although I myself question the teacher’s judgment in letting the student read her poem at that forum, I also cannot believe that the principal would have reacted to same way to a poem that praised the Bush administration’s war in Iraq.
This reminds me of my introduction to conservative thought by my junior high school English teacher back in 1963-1964. She devoted four days a week to teaching English, and the fifth day (always Friday) she devoted to teaching “Americanism.”
She was a self-described conversative Republican. Her teachings on Americanism usually revolved around a handful of subjects.
Lyndon Johnson, if elected in 1964, would reach a “negotiated settlement” with the North Vietnamese, which would really be surrender. (A early Vietnam War version of the knife-in-the-back argument popular in Germany after the defeat in WWI.) The next thing we know, the communists would be in Hawaii, then in California, then right here in America’s heartland. She always got a few of the girls in the class crying at this point.
Martin Luther King, Jr. may not be a communist, but he is clearly a communist dupe. The same goes for the entire civil rights movement. The solution for America’s race problems is for all the blacks to go back to Africa. She always got one of the boys muttering under his breath about the damn n*gg*rs.
Then there was the old story about the welfare queen driving the Cadillac to pick up her welfare check. (Neglecting to mention that the Cadillac was probably a rusted-out 20-year-old hulk.)
Those were her greatest hits, which she ran through at least once a week. Then there were less common subjects, such as the evil incarnate that is the United Nations. The U.S. is a Christian nation. Arguments for creationism. Arguments for the existence of God that Thomas Aquinas dismanteled a millenium ago. The essence of Christianity and Americanism is every man for himself. If the civil rights movement succeeds, miscegenation will not only flourish, it will practically become mandatory. The solution to the Vietnam War may just be some nukes on Hanoi and Beijing.
Or one of my favorites: When the U.S. reached Berlin at the end of WWII, we should have just kept on rolling into Moscow. Unlike the exhausted Russians, we were still fresh as a daisy and ready for more fighting! It was only the perfidy of pinkos like Truman and General Eisenhower that kept it from happening.
This always went on for an entire hour on Friday, all year long, at the taxpayers’ expense, to a captive audience of 12 and 13-year-olds.
Later on in life I sometimes encountered thoughtful, principled conservatives, who argued that their own thoughtful and principled views represented the “real” American conservatism. But experience tells me that thoughtful, principled conservatism is ivory-tower stuff, and that real on-the-ground American conservatism is closer to the Americanism lessons served up by my 7th-grade English teacher from her bully pulpit every Friday to an audience that felt too intimidated to talk back.
here’s a letter i received, from the rio rancho school board, in response to my letter attacking mr. tripp - here’s your “other side” of the story - but i still don’t know who to believe… the tone is pretty evasive. the school board’s communications officer (!?) also attached a letter written by the poetess absolving them of responsibility. my original letter follows afterwards:
Thank you for your e-mail to the Rio Rancho Public Schools.
Recently, the Daytona Beach News-Journal published an editorial highly critical of Rio Rancho High School and some of its staff members. It was written by Bill Hill, a columnist for the paper and, he states, a friend of Bill Nevins, an untenured teacher whose contract was not renewed at the end of the 2002-03 school year. Mr. Nevins is currently engaged in a legal action against the Rio Rancho Public Schools.
While we recognize the right of newspapers to engage in fair criticism, such criticism should be grounded in the facts. We are disturbed that neither the writer nor the Daytona Beach News-Journal contacted the school district for information or comment. This editorial, simply put, is rife with inaccuracies, misinformation, and outright untruths. Its publication constitutes a reckless disregard for the truth to such a degree that Rio Rancho Public Schools has asked its lawyers to review and evaluate what legal recourse may be available.
Because Mr. Nevinsâ case is in litigation and involves a personnel issue, Rio Rancho Public Schools has been limited in what it can say in response to the many misrepresentations that have appeared in the media. We are unable to discuss the reasons Mr. Nevins was not rehired. However, we can state the reasons have nothing to do with the exercise of free speech or free expression. This is not a free speech issue.
The original lawsuit included three causes of action. Two of these claims, for breach of his employment contract and for retaliation, have since been dismissed by the federal court.
We wish to assure the public that the teaching, reading, and writing of poetry are alive and well at Rio Rancho High School. The editorialâs contention that the schoolâs principal ordered an end to the teaching, reading, and writing of poetry is so ludicrous as to be almost laughable.
While we cannot discuss a case in litigation, we can address some of the inaccuracies in the editorial that are not part of the case:
The editorial describes an incident involving art students and teachers and âun-Americanâ student posters. This incident did not occur at Rio Rancho High School or anywhere in the Rio Rancho Public Schools. It happened in a neighboring New Mexico school district and was widely reported by the local media. A cursory check of the archives of the Albuquerque papers would have revealed this fact.
Neither the Rio Rancho School Employees, Union (the union representing most district employees) nor the American Civil Liberties Union are parties to the current legal action.
The editorial states that the principal read a patriotic poem at a flag-raising ceremony and shouted âshut your face,â to those who did not share his opinion. There was indeed a ceremony held to receive a flag that had been flown in the war theatre and donated to the school. A poem written by a soldier serving in Iraq was read (not shouted), but not by the principal. The âshut your faceâ reference is part of this poem.
The editorial states that Mr. Nevins was unable to go to work at another school because the principal wouldnât forward his credentials. On September 11, 2003, the Rio Rancho Observer reported that Mr. Nevins was employed at a public charter school in Albuquerque. Procedurally, requests for credentials must be properly authorized by the employee and submitted to the Human Resources Department (not the principal). All such requests are promptly processed.
The editorial describes a poem written by a student named Courtney, and states that her mother (described as being a teacher at the school) was ordered by the principal to destroy the girlâs poem or face dismissal. Not true. The studentâs mother is not a teacher; however, she was and continues to be employed by the school district. She was never threatened with being fired, nor was she ordered to destroy the poem.
The district stands behind former RRHS principal Gary Tripp and others who have been unfairly maligned in this editorial and in other media in the months since Mr. Nevinsâ departure. We also regret that Courtney and her family have been subjected to unwanted public attention. About a year ago, Courtney wrote a statement that was published in two local papers as a letter to the editor. She has given us permission to share this letter with you, and we hope it helps you further understand this situation.
Thank you for your inquiry and for giving us the opportunity to respond. We look forward to a resolution of this issue in the legal system.
Kim Vesely
Communications Officer
Rio Rancho Public Schools
Please feel free to share our response.
______
To Whom It May Concern:
This is the first and last time I will discuss publicly the controversy surrounding my poem, the Slam Poetry Club, and RRHS teacher Bill Nevins, the clubâs sponsor.
During the fall semester at RRHS I wrote a poem entitled âRevolution X.â I, along with other students, delivered poetry in the Performing Arts Center at the high school. We received praise from staff and students in the packed auditorium. Early in the spring term, I read my poem again on the school announcements. This poem is a social commentary. It comments on how our society claims to value education, but in actuality spends energy, time and resources on other things, such as war. A staff member, who has a military background and military mindset, complained about the poem, saying it was an anti-war speech. I can only assume that he cannot distinguish between a speech and a poem, or that he did not recognize it as an allegory.
Due to the complaint, the administration asked for a copy of the poem. No one demanded that my parents âsearch my roomâ for the poem, as has been reported. I delivered it to the RRHS administrators when I got back from Spring Break because they wished to read it. They read it, looking for two things: profanity and incitement to violence. They found neither. I was not disciplined. My freedom of speech was not violated. It has been suggested that I was not disciplined because my parents are on staff at the high school. Let me assure you thatâs not the case. In my years at Rio Rancho High School, Iâve been tardy to class and been busted for dress code, receiving my fair share of hours in after-school detention. Staff membersâ kids are not given preferential treatment.
When I asked the administration why Mr. Nevins was put on administrative leave, I was told that the reasons would not be discussed with me, but that they had absolutely nothing to do with me or my poem. I accept that. The administration at RRHS has been nothing but supportive of my poetry endeavors and continue to encourage my writing, even in light of all this nonsense.
Will the Slam Poetry Club continue to function in the absence of Mr. Nevins? I donât know. I donât plan to participate because I simply do not have the time. Iâm trying to make a good grade in Chemistry, maintain my GPA, choose a college for next year, and get on with my life.
However, I am angry about two things. My poem has been put on the Internet. I did not give permission for anyone to print it or copy it. What makes it worse is that lines have been changed and added. My poem has been prostituted for the world to see. My freedom of speech has been violated because I chose not to speak, but now my words are under scrutiny despite my attempts otherwise.
My family and I have been bombarded for weeks with questions about all of this by newspapers, TV stations, and even national publications. My familyâs well-earned Spring Break was interrupted repeatedly. This has caused undue stress for my family and is not appreciated. I will comment no further on the subject. I will accept neither calls nor visitors wishing to discuss anything pertaining to this issue. Now that curiosity has been satisfied, I can only hope that we will focus on something more important, like bringing home everyone fighting in the war we insist on having.
Sincerely,
Courtney Butler
Original Message
From: the higher critic [mailto:thehighercritic@sympatico.ca]
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 12:33 PM
To: schoolboard@rrdo.rrps.k12.nm.us
Subject: to principal gary tripp, re: firing of bill nevins and intimidation of students
TO:
Gary Tripp
Principal
Rio Rancho High School
301 Loma Colorado
Rio Rancho NM, 87124
505-896-5600
I was disgusted to read about your methods of intimidation and punishment with regard to an obscenity-free yet, to you, âun-Americanâ poem penned by a student of your school.
From what I understood upon reading Bill Hillâs editorial of 15 May in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, a student of yours recited a poem critical of the policies of George W. Bush, then you and the schoolâs âmilitary liasonâ proceeded to fire the teacher-moderator of her poetry group for failing to take away her rights of free expression. Also that: âThe girl’s mother, also a teacher, was ordered by the principal to destroy the child’s poetry. The mother refused and may lose her job.â
I think if anyone is âun-Americanâ in this sordid story itâs you. First, a critique of an administration is a critique of the administration and not of the country â thatâs a âkingâ you must be picturing â so Iâm guessing you never taught poli-sci. Iâm also guessing youâre not a former history teacher or youâd know that the last time a major nation allowed âmilitary liaisonsâ to run their schools, the result was the Hitler Youth; or you might then also recall an apropos statement of Benjamin Franklinâs: âThey who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.â
Between your succumbing to the authority of the âmilitary liasonâ (I canât type that euphemism enough â I thought âmilitary liaisonsâ were what was occurring in the Abu Ghraib infirmary) and your instruction to your assembled students to âshut your faces!â Iâm guessing youâve a very tiny penis.
Iâm truly looking forward to disseminating your story, your schoolâs snail address, phone number, and your personal email to the large network of freedom-loving, pro-American activists whoâd love nothing more than to get your cowardly ass fired! I think, let me check my address book, yes, you and your board will likely soon be receiving official protests from the Canadian and Provincial Ontario teachersâ federations, as well.
Happy Thursday!
the higher critic, thanking Dog for the 49th parallel
The other side of the story on the alleged poetry censorship incident:
Friday, I posted this item:
The other side of the story on the alleged poetry censorship incident:
Friday, I posted this item:
The other side of the story on the alleged poetry censorship incident:
Friday, I posted this item:
I swear to god…one time walking around a town near my hometown, an old cadillac drove up, and the dirty-ass-looking driver asked me, “Hey, buddy, do you know where the welfare office is?”
…no joke. He was looking for it, and it was just across the corner.
The rest of the story
It appears there is more to the Rio Rancho High School poetry story than reported here yesterday. First, at The Volokh Conspiracy Eugene Volokh (May 23) has the rebuttal from the school and details from the student involved, who’s pretty…
You may want to check out
http://www.nmact.org/
“general info” for a picture of Gary.
Google for “gary tripp rio rancho” for more info, although whether that’s him or not I can’t say
I’m just wondering…
Given the information that seems to be available (including a letter from Courtney herself), where are the apologies; first, to Jim who pointed out the need for more facts and second, to the principal himself? Are any of you who sent nasty emails or floated the idea of signing the principal up for porn sites now sending apologies to the principal? Something makes me think that’s not the case.
Facts are such troubling things, especially to those who want to paint a specific political portrait of ‘the enemy’. And this wouldn’t be so bad if people were willing to accept the consequences of their actions. Instead, it appears that a number of people made assumptions that fit their own prejudice, jumped on the bandwagon without checking facts, lambasted someone without proof. The flame-throwing was fun, but the interest disappeared when the facts did not support the “people who are pro-war or pro military are evil, tyrannical, first-amendment-violating-nazis” prejudice. For those who think all of the flaming was not about the supposed first amendment violation of someone espousing anti-war views, please check your naivete at the door. How many Agitator flamers would have pounced if this had been about a young-born-again-christian girl who was suspended for preaching on the playground? How many would have invoked ‘Nazi’?
The best we can get from the author of this blog is a minor pass that “the facts lie somewhere in the middle.” Wow! After calling a guy an ass based on only one side of the argument, the boldness of saying, upon response from the accused and the vistim that seems to place a harsh light on the accuser, there are two side to every story is beyond reproach.
Despite the defense from the school and the letter from Courtney, the crux of the story remains true. There was in fact real censorship. It was brutal. Here are some interesting facts that may be of interest to you:
The principal, Tripp, is gone from the school. He took a high paying job elsewhere.
The military liaison was promoted to Brigadier General and is head of a military command in NM. He has a doctorate in Psychology.
The US Army, under the Patriot Act is now allowed to have army recruiters on all high school campuses. All US High Schools are reuqired to assist the army to recruit students. If they refuse, they lose all federal funding.
I have to admit, I reacted unfavorably to this article when it was sent to me by a fellow poet. I have read the responses of the school and the poet herself. Now I have time to calm down and think, but I certainly will not be quick to agree with any of the other detractors of this story.
It still seems that the reasons for his dismissal are unfair, and how frightening it is the we have a permenant military presence on high schools (as opposed to them coming on career day, when I was still in school.) The whole thing seem to have started because of such a military presence didn’t like an artits’s comments about the war. Maybe he or she should be the first to apologize for taking such a harsh stance towards a minor, and two violated an inidividual’s free speech on a social level.
Many people have stated that there is a liberal media…given CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, I’d like to know where the hell it now resides. After reading the article and this board, I felt that the Op Ed was a reactionary piece that should have gotten all side, like a proper journalist. But given the war, Patriot Act and the violations of our free speech on a social level…it’s practiced every day, on the internet, even as on this message board. The fact is, while we are affored this right, so say what we want, when we want, the majority of Americans don’t have the intelligence and fortitude to process this right. When one doens’t agree with another, they want to put a label on them, be it “liberal” or “right-wing”. The perfect name for American society would be “category whores.”
We’re a reactionary country, we’ve been tought to be reactionary. The guy who talked about his teacher who taught “Americanism” 4 days a week is proof of that. Well, I guess preaching racism, closed mindedness and religious intolerance is the most American lessons one could ever have.
All in all kudos to the high school girl for her courage, even though I haven’t read the poem. I’ve written a few anti-war poems mayself. Feel free to give into your animal instincts of reactionary thought on that comment.
RE: Rio Rancho (New Mexico) High School
and Poetry
I am the teacher Bill Nevins.
There are serious inaccuracies and fudged statements in the RRPS letter.
But regardless, the facts are clear.
The lawsuit is in Federal court in NM.
It has NOT been dismissed in whole or in part.
The issues are free speech, academic freedom and the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. This struggle is engaged in defense of those rights.
As an unemployed teacher, I am grateful for all support in this struggle.
A benefit concert in support of this Free Speech struggle will take place July 3 (Saturday), 2004, 6-10 pm at the
Bowery Poetry Club in New York City. Some of our nation’s finest writers will perform their works in celebration of Independence and Free Speech. Please join us there!
Anyone who wants updated information, please feel free to contact me at bill_nevins@yahoo.com
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Gracias.
The question of education is very complicated :)) There’s no perfect teacher as all the peoples are different.
Dan
Well, I’m not really interested in politics… just because it’s all about the money…
but the fact that I clearly see in our schools is that teens are more and more involved in political discussions and actions… suppose it’s a good trend… though the consequences are not always so good !
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In August, 2004, my case with the Rio Rancho School District was settled before trial. The school district paid myself and my attorney a total settlement of $205,000. We have offered to donate a portion of this fund to the school district for the specific purpose of re-establishing the student Poetry Team. As of late October 2004 the school district has not responded to this offer.
We have established the Poetic Justice Institute http://www.poeticjusticeinstitute
We plan poetry events nationally and welcome suggestions and input.
Bill Nevins
Albuquerque
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