Dear Editor,
I’m writing about a circumstance I find very upsetting. A picture that was sent to me that I’m told is hanging in Gigi Jasper’s AP English classroom at Rock Springs High School, of a caricature President Trump that says “STOP BIGOTRY.” I’m also told Jasper is putting up statistics in the room that purportedly show the number of black people being killed by white police officers on a daily or weekly basis. This is totally inappropriate and unacceptable. Posting statistics out of context is irresponsible and inaccurate at the very least. Her irresponsible reporting of these statistics makes it appear that police officers are intentionally targeting black people. This teaches disrespect for our police officers, our President, and our country! This is teaching hate, divisiveness and encouraging anarchy. There are way too many examples of people being battered and killed by just this kind of thinking, encouraging mob rule and disrespect and disregard for laws and the Golden Rule that used to be taught in schools.
I contacted Annie Fletcher, the Rock Springs High School Principal about this. She shared my email with Jasper, who then thanked me for my input and left the picture on the wall, temporarily covered by other papers.
This teacher has every right to express her opinion in the proper venue, which isn’t a high school English classroom. I don’t feel this type of behavior is appropriate in any classroom. Teachers are there to teach our children HOW to think, NOT WHAT TO THINK.
I would appreciate it if you would see that this picture and these statistics are removed and that this incident isn’t repeated. While recognizing these statistics are important, it is more important to see them in context and understand the cultural war the police find themselves in the middle of.
Instead of enlightening her students with a fair and balanced view, she has instead chosen to feed our children propaganda.
This behavior is dividing our country and should not be allowed in a high school. In light of the awful things happening in the name of “racial equality” etc., this type of thing doesn’t belong in any of our schools.
Sue Levitt
Rock Springs
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