|
« AAUP Homepage
|
Poetry Earns a Little Respect
By Martin D. Snyder
Bill Nevins, a former teacher at Rio Rancho High School in Albuquerque, who claims he was dismissed because he allowed his students to read "disrespectful" poetry, reached an out-of-court settlement with his school district in August. His suit charged the district with attempting to curb free speech. According to the Associated Press, the district agreed to pay Nevins $205,000, but acknowledged no liability in the case, which would have gone to trial in November.
Nevins, who now teaches at the University of New Mexico and the Technical Vocational Institute, drew national support in his fight to protect the right of free expression for his students (see the State of the Profession column in the January-February issue). In March 2003, he was suspended from his position as humanities teacher and coach of the multicultural poetry team, which had achieved considerable fame in New Mexico. Two months later, he was told his contract would not be renewed because, he alleged, his students had read poetry in class and in public criticizing the war in Iraq and the spending policy of the U.S. military.
The settlement of the case, according to Nevins's lawyer, Jerry Sirotkin, sends a message to other teachers that free speech will be protected. They can, he said, "stand up against censorship in a school district" without fear of retribution. The lawyer for the school district dismissed the free speech issue as a "smoke screen" and maintained that Nevins was suspended for violating his school's field-trip policies and because he was "lacking as a teacher."
At a news conference announcing the settlement, Nevins, through his lawyer, offered to fund the Rio Rancho High School poetry team with a check for $3,500 and promised to send the same amount next year. The lawyer representing the school district indicated, however, that the district was not interested in accepting funding from Nevins.
|