Doug Bartlett, a veteran teacher with an upstanding record of 17 years, has filed a lawsuit against the school district of Chicago for suspending him without pay after giving a lesson on gardening tools to his second grade students.
The incident took place on August 8, 2011 at Washington Irving Elementary School.
Mr. Bartlett recently filed suit on April 17, 2013 saying that he suffered humiliation and embarrassment as a result of his reprimand.
The “hazardous” tools in question were pliers, screwdrivers and wrenches that only the teacher handled. The tools were kept in a locked toolbox high on a shelf out of reach before and after the gardening lesson.
The district says that Mr. Bartlett exhibited negligence in supervising the children and for “possessing, carrying, storing, or using a weapon”. Â He was subsequently suspended without pay for 4 days.
Mr. Bartlett’s lawsuit claims the suspension violated his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process as he asserts that there was never a full hearing on the incident. Â Further, he was disciplined without ever having the opportunity to plead his case.
According to the Rutherford Institute which is representing him, Mr. Bartlett is seeking damages and requesting the suspension be expunged from his teaching record.
It is important to have electronic records in order as the charge of possessing a “weapon”, in this case gardening tools, has the potential to prevent Mr. Bartlett from seeking employment elsewhere.
The incident is yet another example of an over the top reaction by school officials demonstrating poor judgment and a gross lack of common sense.
A related story occurred in the Fall of 2012 when the Vice Principal of a California school suspended a boy for bringing kombucha in his lunchbox.  With no parent or guardian present at any time, the boy was interrogated in the school office by school administration and a police officer and was ultimately suspended for 5 days for “violating” the school’s drug and alcohol policy. No tests were ever performed on the beverage which is able to be legally purchased by minors at local stores.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Teacher Who Showed Garden Tools to Second Grade Students is Suspended Without Pay
Check out Agenda…these are bad times indeed! http://vimeo.com/63749370
Hello! Why are people straying away from the topic of a teacher being suspended for garden tools to religion in DenmarK? Come on people, focus and pay attention!
Gardening tools are not “weapons.” Whoever suspended this teacher for showing kids common-sense tools for the real world should be fired and then sentenced to community service, say maybe in a COMMUNITY GARDEN, so they can themselves learn something of value. Most of our founders were Deists, not Christians. There’s a big difference. Deists worship the creator of the universe. Christians and others make up myths about that creator and say “our way is the only way.”
As long as we keep falling for the government false flag terrorist attacks and refuse to grow backbones,the idiots that be will continue this bizarre behavior and mess up the lives of good people like this teacher!
What was he teaching if he doesn’t know the difference between “gardening tools” and pliers, screwdrivers and wrenches?
If you do a little reading, they were NOT garden tools, they were “garden-variety” tools for a lesson on tools which is state-mandated. The school’s objection seemed focused on a pocket-knife. I am not saying the lesson was inappropriate or that the teacher was not careful in his presentation. I am saying that if you are going to hype up these bad school decisions, getting facts straight is helpful. The public schools make enough genuinely stupid decisions without the need to fabricate more. Personally we do not entrust the education of our children to them!
Incredibly disturbing to me!
Not surprised that this is Chicago! Who needs to know about tools used for “working”?
well, I see 3 problems right off the top: first he showed the children “scary and pointy things”, second he was discussing a subject that might foster self reliance (gardening) and third, since home gardening can be done without GMO death foods, Monsanto no doubt is upset…..
You are so right!