A Texas Teacher Implied That A Student's T-Shirt Supporting Homosexuality Could Make Her The Victim Of A Hate Crime

DailyMail- The mother of a gay teenager in Texas claims a local school teacher made an unsettling reference to the Orlando terrorist massacre in a bizarre Facebook message.

Cassie Watson's daughter Ali Chaney, 13, made headlines in May when she got in trouble at school for wearing a T-shirt with an LGBT-friendly message.

The openly gay teenager felt SC Lee Junior High School in Copperas Cove discriminated against her when administrators tried to prohibit her from wearing a shirt that said 'Some people are gay. Get over it!'

On Monday, Watson said she woke up to a teacher's message that seemed to imply her daughter could become the next victim of an atrocity like the one in Orlando on Sunday, where 49 people were shot dead at a gay nightclub by a gunman who authorities said was inspired by extremist ideologies. 



Look, I am aware that the primary job of a school teacher is to provide each and every child - regardless of sexual orientation - a safe, inclusive environment that is conducive to learning.  That's why assuming your particular learning environment might not be safe to a student that wore a shirt merely acknowledging the existence of homosexuals probably isn't the greatest of ideas. I am no expert educator, but comparing your classroom to a night club in which 49 were savagely murdered for their choice in sexual partners is a pretty big reach, and it's undoubtedly a reach in the wrong direction. 

If I had a word of advice for Janice Williams it would be to do less. Let the fight come to fruition before you try to break it up. Maybe don't try to preemptively address a human rights issue as a middle school teacher. Once you - as the authority figure - start predicting homophobia and hate crimes, you pretty much invite it into the classroom. Janice Williams is either the intolerant one in this story or she's not nearly intelligent enough to be cultivating the young minds of America - even by Texas' standards. If she can't understand that this shirt merely states a fact, as opposed to forcing an opinion, then I wouldn't want her anywhere near children - whether she's prejudice or not. Gay people exist. This teacher might not like it. Her hometown may not like it. But that doesn't change the fact that homosexuals aren't mythical beings with no tangible presence in society. No reason to lose sleep over it Janice. Don't forget, no message sent after 2AM is a good idea.