| RIGHT-WING BIGOTS ATTACK DEERFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
by Jason Loewith on 3/25/2008 12:31:00 PM
I had the opportunity to speak with Lora Sue Hauser, the individual listed in the blog below. My post has been edited to correct factual errors; I regret that mistakes were made in the original post. As Ms. Hauser said, we both look forward to further comments and questions on the issue involved.
Recently I had Easter brunch with a friend who teaches English at Deerfield High School. Like others on the North Shore, Deerfield has a long history of progressive education and outreach. Like other high schools across the country, they recently assigned Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prizewinning play Angels in America to AP English students.
But unlike other schools, Deerfield has an angry ex-parent "with years of advocacy" behind her: Lora Sue Hauser.
Although one of her children graduated from Deerfield, another child was put into private school because, she says, Deerfield was not a welcoming place for children with a "conservative" background. Nevertheless, I presume she wants to save the other innocent kids from the work of Satan-worshippin' hom'sexuals like Tony Kushner. I presume that's why she formed North Shore Student Advocacy "years ago" -to address issues like this, lending legitimacy to her campaign against Deerfield.
Lora Sue Hauser is very upset that DHS is teaching Angels, even though it's an optional assignment that requires parental approval. So she's calling it "pornography" to anyone who will listen. Screaming "pornography" when you're talking about literature strikes me pretty clearly as hatemongering and fear peddling (as well as a throwback to olden-time bigotry). Obviously, she disagrees.
NSSA's protest against Angels took the form of an outraged press release, including excerpts from the play's most graphic scenes. She succeeded in stirring up some excitement from right-wing nutballs from all over the country, eager to sink their fangs into the homosexual agenda wherever they can. (She did admit to me she was happy to have the publicity).
Some of the results can be found here, here, here, and really all over the internet.
But if you'd prefer to read the facts instead of apoplectic, apocalyptic fiction, check out this story from the Pioneer Press that lays out the credentials of the teacher, Tony Kushner's personal involvement in the case, and the superintendent's decision to make sure parents of those who chose to study Angels signed permission slips allowing their kids to study it.
Here's what you can do:
Send an email of support to Superintendent George Fornero at gfornero@dist113.org.
Let North Shore Student Advocacy know you won't tolerate hate or ignorance in your state at NSSAdvocacy@aol.com or (847) 651-8646.
The right-wing websites are getting their message out ("It's just like yeast; if you just ignore it, you'll find it engulfing your neighborhood also!"); make your voice heard just as loudly.Labels: Free Speech
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You've got the facts wrong. Hauser formed NSSA 5 years ago, not last year. She never home schooled her kids, either.
Like most people with kids, I don't want my kids taught by anyone who cannot restrain themselves from using foul language while teaching. Professionalism 101: control your mouth. Professionalism 102: communicate with parents with complete truth.
I don't want a teacher, whose personal life I don't need to know about, standing in front of my daughter talking about "dick sucking." Teachers are not counselors and are not trained to know what to do when a student is upset or traumatized by adult lack of constraint. For you to cast a smear upon an entire swath of parents who are putting everything they've got - time, money, emotional support - into child rearing is just wrong.
And please, at least get your facts right.
I'm told I may have some facts wrong on this post. I'll leave the post up while I get them right; please check back later if you're interested, or feel free to tell me your thoughts at jason@nexttheatre.org.
I don't agree with what Hauser did, or how she went about doing it. However I have read and studied “Angles in America”, and I don't think it is age appropriate for high school students, and it should not be an assignment, optional or required. It is an amazing play that everyone should read when they reach college, study it there, not in high school.
Regardless of the sexual orientation of the book or the teacher's agenda, how is it appropriate to have students reading a book with as much profanity in it as this book. Are students allowed to use that sort of language in the classroom? If not, why would they be asked to read a book that contained that langauge? I am all for having well rounded kids, but this seems to have crossed the line by a mile.
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