I bet when Betsy Ramsdale posted this photo of herself on Facebook she never expected that would result in her becoming a topic of discussion across the nation.
Video, from WKOW.
BEAVER DAM (WKOW) -- Beaver Dam school officials placed a middle school teacher on administrative leave after discovering a photograph of the teacher with a gun on the teacher's Facebook page.
In the photo, teacher Betsy Ramsdale is training a rifle at the camera.
Ramsdale emailed 27 News in response to our inquiries saying she "removed the photo immediately" and that she is not "interested in any controversy." Ramsdale did not comment on her motivation for posting the photo.
Schools superintendent Donald Childs told 27 News he is unaware of any sinister intent on the teacher's part and said the use of the photo "appears to be poor judgment."
Childs said the Facebook photo was brought to the attention of school district officials by a concerned staff member at Beaver Dam Middle School.
I think Ramsdale used poor judgment in posting that photo, especially as her Facebook profile image.
She wasn't thinking of her career. You can't post anything on the Internet that someone may find objectionable. You're asking for trouble and she got it.
That said, I don't think she should be punished anymore than she already has been. She removed the photo and school officials have no complaints about her teaching or behavior in the classroom. What's the point of putting her on leave? Ramsdale removed the photo. That should be enough.
I wonder if the "concerned staff member at Beaver Dam Middle School" mentioned the photo to Ramsdale before going to the school district.
Did the "concerned staff member" question Ramsdale about the wisdom of posting such a photo?
Did the "concerned staff member" think Ramsdale actually posed a threat to students?
Once again, one's Internet activities has a dramatic impact on face to face interaction. Once again, there are real life consequences.
7 comments:
To deter employers from viewing social networking pages, employees might post on their pages legal terms of service under which employers agree to scram. This idea should not be taken as legal advice for any particular situation, just a topic for public discussion. --Ben
The District had no business involving themselves over the photo, and the person bringing it to the Districgt Adm. should have been cautioned about trying to cause problems.
There is nothing illegal occuring in the photo, therefore the District should have ignored it.
Had the teacher in question been shooting drugs in the photo, or involved in other acts of immorality that would have violated whatever Morals Clause is in her contract, then District should have gotten involved.
Personally, I think the teacher in question should leave it up or post it back up and sue the concerned staff member, the school and the school district for violation of her civil rights as guaranteed by the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This is another blatant socialist tactic to render, in a somewhat recondite fashion, the ultimate goal for the demise of individualism with emphasis on "ratting" out your neighbor or co-worker. This worked very well for the NKVD later known as the KGB. Maybe we should canvass the rest of the Beaver Dam Middle School staff and the school district to see if they are members of Code Pink, Moveon.org, or card carrying Marxists.
I think the Wisconsin finally flipped their liberal lid. Of course you're talking about one of the most backward states in America. Many of them make Arkansas hillbillies look smart even with a college education. I can say this because I spent 5 years there. Among that time I noticed a haze of negativity. They've got a lot of country people yet they're against guns. They've got the highest count of serial killers and maniacs of any state and there's a reason.
I say to the teacher, from someone who has been the cast to their wolves before, sue them. At the very least you've got a case of "defamation of character" that will hold water through their actions. For them to treat you like a criminal is horrible.
The person that was "concerned" either hates guns, hates the teacher, or is harboring their own seeded secret to draw away attention. Normally we find that these individuals have latent hostility and an alter ego. I would highly advise that the school system take a close look at the "concerned individual". I got a $100 bucks that says that individual is a pedophile diverting attention. You better put them on immediate suspension while you investigate or you could have a muc bigger problem on your hands.
The Superintendent is full of it. Ramsdale should sue the district, and sue for disclosure of the name of the person who complained, then sue that person.
Teachers today are so scared they will be blacklisted by a district if they do anything wrong. This is why so many of them roll over and have their private lives controlled by someone else.
I spent 26 years as a public school teacher, and was regularly threatened and harrassed. My reply was always "Bring it on" However, no one ever did and I am still waiting.
If the public in America wants to continue to have their children educated, they need to grow some backbone and tell the districts to educate and not moralize.
KB
Commenters are missing the point entirely.
In Wisconsin a woman is good for two things: breeding, and I can't think of the other thing.
A woman with a rifle, who knows how to use it, is a huge threat to the incredibly backward culture in that CONSERVATIVE (not liberal) state.
The culture in Wisconsin goes like this:
--If you are a liberal, you owe it to liberalism to march passively to your own rape, mugging, robbery, etc., because obviously a victim has a higher moral standing than a woman who stands up for herself, using lethal force if necessary. When I took a "women's self-defense course," I couldn't believe what a bunch of anti-womanly tripe they were peddling. Sorry to disappoint, dude, my no means no, and it's got SIG stamped on the side. In several places.
--If you are a conservative, shut up and go back to tending the brood, sow.
This liberal moved to WA State out of sheer weariness of Wisconsin culture. I would rather have lived in West Virginia, among those vilified "hillbillies" put down by one anonymous commenter.
Wisconsin has a weird psychosexual quality, I never could quite put my finger on it. But any state that cranks out cannibal murderers, Commie-hunters, people who fornicate with roadkill, and people who gang-harass individuals in the hunting season then get all shocked when that individual shoots back--well, there's something going on there.
And Betsy Ramsdale's case is just one more example. I agree that she should sue the snot out of Beaver Dam SD. The commenter who said that the crackdown was "socialist" is dead wrong. Absolutely, positively wrong, and ignorant to boot, and probably also trolling politically out of a shallow and immature world view.
Wisconsin socialists--real socialists--are Germans and Bohunks and Finns and Swedes who know what life is like under the jackboots of king and church, and real Wisconsin socialists fully support the 2A.
What sells in Wisconsin is what sells in most parts of this nation, which has been battered by politicians' polarized thinking and campaigns for the past 30 years: people pick on each other to get relief from the tension of being picked on, or feeling powerless.
This is the main reason I support open carry for every law abiding person. You cannot responsibly own and carry a firearm, and take the position of powerlessness. You MUST take responsibility and feel empowered.
So in Wisconsin a socialist/liberal is pro-gun? I guess that state really IS backwards. Here in california one of our most socialist cities, San Fransisco, banned guns and legalized gay marriage on their own.
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