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From Fox News

67GT390FB

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Schoolteacher Suspended for Facebook Gun Photo
Thursday, February 05, 2009
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BEAVER DAM, Wis.— A Beaver Dam Middle School teacher is on administrative leave after school officials discovered a photo of her with a gun on Facebook.

In the photo, Betsy Ramsdale was training a rifle at the camera.

In an e-mail to WKOW-TV in Madison, Ramsdale said she removed the photo immediately and that she is not "interested in any controversy."

Schools superintendent Donald Childs says a concerned staff member brought the photo to the district's attention.

Childs says the use of the photo "appears to be poor judgment" and is unaware of any sinister intent.

Ramsdale's biography on the district Web site states she is in her first year at the school. Department of Public Instruction records show Ramsdale has been licensed to teach since 1996.
 

compmanio365

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She needs to ream that school coming and going for the clear overreaction and harassment on the school's part. Gun ownership is a civil right, just like the right to vote or be whatever religion you want to be......if they suspended her because she had pictures on her Facebook of her church camping trip, there would be groups all over the place coming forward to defend her and sue the school district. No reason gun owners can't fall into a similar boat. If my job attempted to discipline me for a picture on a website not related in any way to my job, and for an activity that was during my own time, and didn't show me doing anything illegal anyways, there would be a serious case brought against them in every way possible.

Why is this lady saying she's "not interested in any controversy"? Is she one of these gun owners who feel they should hide in a closet, shamed that they even thought of owning a nasty evil gun? It is ridiculous that one of our most basic, most clearly spelled out rights in the Constitution is being treated as a "dirty, evil thing" that you have to hide for fear that you will be persecuted and treated as a pariah by all your coworkers and neighbors, and possibly lose your job over. How sad for our country to have fallen so far, so fast.
 

david.ross

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I hope Ramsdale will be suing, a public school shouldn't have any right to fire for any reason. I foresee a wonderful lawsuit.
 

Nelson_Muntz

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compmanio365 wrote:
Why is this lady saying she's "not interested in any controversy"?

She probably is feeling quite browbeaten and job threatened and surrounded by an extreme liberal bastion ready to hang her from the nearest tree.

I didn't say she should feel that way, or not take a good offense. But it looks like if an attorney doesn't counsel her, she will comply with the indoctrination she has received.
 

Evil Ernie

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I posted a friend request for her on Facebook. Her pic is now blank. Hopefully she's not caving in totally.
I have a LOT of family pics in my office, many are gun poses. One of the senior mgmt came in, saw them, shook his head and alerted my direct super. He came in to give me hell about them (never bothered him before) and I politely and respectfully told him to go eat a bag. That was two years ago, and I've heard nothing since.
 

skidmark

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Generally speaking, teachers are on "at-will" contracts for between 3 and 5 years before they achieve "tenure". They can be released from their contract for any, or no, reason until they become "tenured". State laws vary on just what sorts of discrimination can nix the "at-will" stuff, but I do not think pictures of gun ownership fit in there.

Any teacher who has a picture of themselves holding a gun is a potential terrorist or a deranged lunatic just waiting for the right moment to go on a rampage against the little darlings. [/officialdom asshat thinking]

Seriously, it is getting so a person has to think about how anything they do, including not doing anything, can be used against them by some jerk with an agenda and no functioning brain cells. I'm probably risking having my retirement & Social Security jerked out from under me just for telling you this stuff.

Hope she can transfer to somewhere that does not know/hear about this little escapade, and stay under the radar until she gets to be harder to get rid of.

stay safe.

skidmark
 

compmanio365

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Evil Ernie wrote:
I posted a friend request for her on Facebook. Her pic is now blank. Hopefully she's not caving in totally.
I have a LOT of family pics in my office, many are gun poses. One of the senior mgmt came in, saw them, shook his head and alerted my direct super. He came in to give me hell about them (never bothered him before) and I politely and respectfully told him to go eat a bag. That was two years ago, and I've heard nothing since.

+1, just as it should be. If my boss wanted to come to me and complain about my membership on OCDO and some pictures I've posted, I'd tell him to get bent, and ask him why he's stalking me online.

Now, if he wanted to get on my caseabout spending so much time on here while at work, I guess I'd have to concede that fight. :p
 

demnogis

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Your employer has no reach into your personal life, outside of work.

She could pursue legal recourse. I have a strong feeling she will be on 'administrative leave' until the end of her contract, and it will not be renewed.
 

Nullifier

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Let's see, she posted a photo of herself exercising her constitutional right to keep and bear arms. And she got suspended for it?

Would they suspend her if she posted a photo of herself exercising a different constitutional right such as voting, or worshipping in the church of her choice, or publicly speaking, or printing the school newsletter, or visiting the public library, or serving in military?

She should fight this!!
 

TFred

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Two more news links, one from a local TV station, and also a blog entry.

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9781795&nav=menu1362_2

http://addins.wkowtv.com/blogs/behindthenews/archives/109

One of the comments from the first link is rather interesting:

This teacher ought to consider filing a complaint with the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division under the Fair Employment law which prohibits employment discrimination for "use of a lawful product." A firearm is a lawful product!
TFred

ETA: Comment
 

Evil Ernie

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Sheesh!!! The bleating of sheep is DEAFENING!!!!!!!!!! They have a small thumbnail of the pic. No biggie. Brunette pointing an AR15(?) to the camera. Woopdeedoo...
 

wylde007

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I wonder who the idiot government was that has propagated the ignorance that allowed this to happen.

Oh, wait. I already know the answer.

Keep your powder dry.
 

sccrref

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skidmark wrote:
<snip> Hope she can transfer to somewhere that does not know/hear about this little escapade, and stay under the radar until she gets to be harder to get rid of.
<snip>
Unfortunately this has gone into her permanent record and will follow her everywhere for the rest of her days. IMHO, she should sue the school budget off of them and get her permanent record expunged. Then sue them for hercost to do it.
 
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