July 3, 2021

Opinion ~ Letter to Editor

I am absolutely in support of equity for all persons regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or general irritability. With that baseline established it would be inconsistent with persons who want equality to punish the teacher/coach who repeated an expletive to a student who used the same expletive. If the teacher is punished -beyond a lesson on common sense- then in the interest of equity the student should receive similar consequences.

Freedom of speech is not the question in this situation. It is civil shared space. Whatever pet names we use in the privacy of our homes or within our community, there is language that can offend others. As such courtesy in shared spaces is a social norm that should be upheld in public places. I hope the board respects equality and transparency of the districts intention regarding use of language in schools by providing equal consequences to both parties.

Kathy Jane
Leawood KS