A few weeks ago I wrote about the two teachers who mocked Alex Merritt, a student they believed was gay. The teachers used the standard-issue gay slurs against him, and when Merritt filed against the school district, the district quickly settled for $25,000.
Now, the two teachers who tormented Merritt have taken a leave of absence:
Diane Cleveland, a 39-year-old social studies teacher, and Walter Filson, a 56-year-old law enforcement teacher, went on leave within the past week, said Ginny Karbowski, director of career and technical education for the Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP) in Anoka, where the two taught.
Cleveland’s attorney, Phil Villaume, said: “Our position is that she is taking an unpaid, voluntary leave of absence at her request. … This was done in the last week, and it was her decision and her decision alone.” Villaume doesn’t represent Filson and couldn’t comment on his status. Filson couldn’t be reached for comment.
As I’ve also written before, two of my junior high school teachers mocked me for being gay, and so I know exactly what it’s like to have this happen.
2. September 2009 at 12:01 pm
I had Prince’s LOVESEXY cassette on my desk and my eighth grade English teacher, Ms. Osbourne walked up to me, picked up the case and said, “Prince is a fag!” My friend Tom, who was as into David Bowie as I was Prince, was holding something from the Ziggy Stardust era and she turned to him and said, “And David Bowie’s a fag too!” Tom’s dad, who was an English teacher at the high school (and years later, came out) went smooth the fuck off on her. She later apologized to both of us. Tom and I still talk about that day…