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    Judge: Facebook post should cost job of NJ teacher

    AP – Wed, Nov 9, 2011

    NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey administrative law judge has ruled that a first-grade teacher who wrote that she was a "warden for future criminals" on Facebook earlier this year should lose her tenured job.

    The state education commissioner now has 45 days to accept, reject or modify the decision regarding Jennifer O'Brien.

    The Paterson teacher posted her remark to 333 friends on March 28. But it was forwarded and several parents saw it.

    O'Brien's lawyer, Nancy Oxfeld, tells The Record newspaper (http://bit.ly/v8ERLR) that her client will appeal the ruling, which was made public Tuesday. O'Brien had testified that she wrote the post in exasperation because several students kept disrupting her lessons and one boy had recently hit her.

    But the judge called O'Brien's conduct "inexcusable."

     
    • Jody
      Jody  •  Grand Rapids, Michigan  •  5 mths ago
      Well the truth hurts I guess.
    • Pas
      Pas  •  6 mths ago
      If the parents were so offended by her comment, they could have spent the next 12+ years proving her wrong by raising children who become productive citizens.
      • SusanL
        SusanL 6 mths ago
        until we walk in the shoes of a teacher, daily, weekly, yearly , we don't have a clue, they do
      • Pas
        Pas 6 mths ago
        I have.
      • happy
        happy 6 mths ago
        amen
    • Emel
      Emel  •  6 mths ago
      When someone hits a judge, they are thrown out of the courtroom, very likely arrested and thrown in jail. When a student hits a teacher, not only does that kid usually end up back in that same classroom, but that same teacher is not even allowed to refer to that student as a criminal--though someone who assaults a teacher certainly IS one if charges are filed against him or her and he or she is found guilty of assault. Not only do public school teachers lack the power to discipline students (in NYC schools, a teacher can't even assign a kid to detention anymore!), but this judge thinks teachers should now lose the power to comment about disruptive behavior to their friends? Ridiculous!
      • burylibfilth
        burylibfilth 6 mths ago
        we give them more things for free, medicaid,foodstamps,section 8 THIS #$%$ MUST END!!!
      • Ree
        Ree 6 mths ago
        If someone hits a BUS DRIVER it's considered a felony. The teachers union really needs to lobby for more stringent protection for the teachers.
      • Virginia
        Virginia 6 mths ago
        The teacher shouldn't have made the comment. Is it true? Undoubtedly, she has and will have future criminals in her classroom. Everyone does. Being hit by a student is extremely tramatic. What would happen to someone who came to your job and hit you? The teacher should have disciplinary action, but not be fired.
    • E
      E  •  Lubbock, United States  •  6 mths ago
      Her comment is more about the parents and administration than it is about the children. Teachers feel the same way all over the country. The only people in education who are held accountable are teachers. Students, parents, and administration are not held accountable. That is why the American education system is failing.
      • William
        William 6 mths ago
        Administrators are held accountable by the data, not the actual learning. Graduation rates bring in a huge amount of $$$, so teachers are pressured by administrators to do whatever it takes to avoid failing kids. Look at what happened in Atlanta last year with the standardized test cheating scandal. Pressure was placed from the highest rankings and it trickled down from there.
        Parents are held accountable, they just don't realize it until their 25 year-old kids are still living at home with them.
      • jf
        jf 6 mths ago
        American education is failing because the parent s of the kids are idiots. Idiots having kids.
      • Mara
        Mara 6 mths ago
        As a parent, I can assure you that teachers are not held accountable for much. They get tenure and their jobs are secure. That gives them a lot more leeway than most people have the luxury of getting.
        Good teachers hold themselves accountable but there are too many who are slackers.
    • m
      m  •  New York, United States  •  6 mths ago
      "one boy had recently hit her. Judge called O'Brien's conduct "inexcusable." I wonder what this judge reaction would be, if the same boy would hit him??? Would he throw a book at him, put him in chains,order him to face the firing squad, etc. It is easy to "judge" sitting behind the bench and being protected in the nice and cozy courtroom. That sanctimonious A***Hole judge should spend a few days teaching in high schools before making any "judgement".
      • Psychentist
        Psychentist 6 mths ago
        Indeed. They spend years as a lawyer, fighting to keep criminals from going to jail, then they become a judge and start trashing people's rights. No morality whatsoever.
      • wls508
        wls508 6 mths ago
        It's going to come down to whether details not include in this article, such as whether the school district has a social media policy for its employees and teachers, and whether this teacher signed it as a condition of her employment.

        On a side note to M, the judge is a woman (per the linked article).
      • Victoria V
        Victoria V 6 mths ago
        Too bad she couldn't file charges against the kid who assaulted her.
    • Mark it Zero
      Mark it Zero  •  6 mths ago
      No judge what's "inexcusable" is the behavior of these miscreants and the lack of parental guidance and discipline they receive at home. These parents should be more upset at their children's behavior instead of what the teacher posted on FB
      • Patrick
        Patrick 6 mths ago
        Two wrongs do not make a right. Her behavior was unprofessional. Period. We MUST have the same guidelines in the public sector as we do in private business. She should lose her job. Other professional teachers should learn form this situation.
        Parents are ALWAYS a child's first teacher. The Administration should be enforcing dicipline and allow teaching professionals to do their jobs well, not be compromised by ill-behaved students.
      • Alpha-Omega
        Alpha-Omega 6 mths ago
        @Patrick,
        Does one's occupation extend beyond the working day?
      • John Michael
        John Michael 6 mths ago
        Patrick.. That is a pile of HORSE_POOP.... She has every right to express her sarcastic temporary opinion. It is no business of the school or the judge...
    • former democrat now conse ...
      former democrat now conse ...  •  6 mths ago
      you never post anything negative about your job or your class. Teachers are on the chopping block!!! We are held accountable not the parents who do not teach respect and follow other ADULTS direction PERIOD!!! We now live in the era that it doesn't matter what the teachers do WE ARE WRONG!!! To keep a job KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!!!! It is all ROSES and EVERYTHING IS PERFECT!!!! Always be 3 steps ahead of them (the children) with a twist to the classroom behavior plan!!!! NEVER LET them see they have gotten your GOAT or you have lost the WAR!!! Only complain to those you can trust!!!! That isn't facebook and NEVER NEVER NEVER complain in writing anywhere!!!! You always have to COVER YOUR BUTT because NO ONE ELSE WILL. They will make you the scape goat
    • Scott
      Scott  •  6 mths ago
      the judge is a #$%$ ..... unless she wrote on her facebook page during work/school time this has nothing to do with her ability to teach..... what happened to free speech???
    • Benoit
      Benoit  •  6 mths ago
      land of the free.... R.I.P
    • humberto
      humberto  •  New York, United States  •  6 mths ago
      Who cares if she said this? It's HER facebook page and has nothing to do with her ability to do her job. Freedom of speech is still protected in this country! Get over it you stupid people. Teachers get paid nothing to have to deal with the majority of kids in this country who are indeed animals much of the time. Leave her alone.
    • Nuu Yawk
      Nuu Yawk  •  6 mths ago
      Teaching HS students is probably one of the worst jobs ever.
    • Smarty5.56
      Smarty5.56  •  6 mths ago
      No free speech any more, especially when it's correct?!?!?
    • xltrt
      xltrt  •  Islip, United States  •  6 mths ago
      it is against the law to tell the truth
    • Archibald
      Archibald  •  New York, United States  •  6 mths ago
      The "judge's" conduct is inexcusable. How does a jerk like that become a judge.
    • hondolover
      hondolover  •  Sayreville, United States  •  6 mths ago
      THe problem is, parents, etc., don't like hearing the truth.
    • kc
      kc  •  Newark, United States  •  6 mths ago
      people need to relax a little. she was just venting on her facebook page. teachers deal with a lot a crap and she was only venting to "friends". give me a break.
    • Spoogs
      Spoogs  •  6 mths ago
      If a newspaper reported ran a story "a teacher was being abused by her students", would the reporter be fired or given a promotion? Does this judge have kids or worked as a teacher? The kids should of been before the judge, not the teacher.
    • Lain
      Lain  •  6 mths ago
      Another example of WHATS WRONG with America..for goodness sake, does ANYONE have a sense of humor anymore? The kids are in FIRST GRADE and will never read the post..even IF they could read??

      I live in China currently, and if you changed the country to China, and website to QQ everyone in America would be talkng about how evil China is....Time to take a serious look in the mirror and ask where it went wrong...and how to fix it.
    • Kim
      Kim  •  Hackettstown, United States  •  6 mths ago
      What happened to freedom of speech???
    • kc2axu
      kc2axu  •  Dover Plains, United States  •  6 mths ago
      The judge should be removed from the bench for VIOLATING HER "Freedom oif Speech Rights"..
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