Schools suppress speech rights and bus driver fired

Germantown (Wisconsin) High School teacher Eric Glass is facing sexual assault charges for sexual relations with a 17 year old student at his high school. While this action is wrong, because society has to draw the line somewhere when it comes to an age of consent, Mr. Glass if even guilty of these actions should not be confused with someone who engages in molesting of small children. A huge problem with sex offender lists, is that it puts people like Glass in with those who molest 5 year olds. I don't know if Glass should be charged with a felony, especially in consideration it was consensual. A 17 year old after all, isn't much different emotionally or mentally different, than an 18 year old.

Now, students at Mr. Glass's school wore t-shirts in support of him, to school. At least one of the students, a girl, was threatened with at least a suspension if she did not change the t-shirt, which had a simple message of support for Mr. Glass. The student should have stood her ground. The U.S. Supreme Court has protected the rights of students since the 1960s era Tinker case, to exercise their First Amendment rights to schools.

Just because school adminstrators don't like a viewpoint, cannot be a reason to ban it. Fellow students commenting and talking about a t-shirt, if of course, not a criteria to ban it. Sadly, the local news morning panel talking about this case seemed unconcerned with First Amendment violations by this school, when it comes to these students. Not that surprising, local news contributes little, in terms of intellectual merit.

Now, Channel 4  in Milwaukee (WI), has something they call the I-team. They are exposing MPS drivers with criminal records. One of the things they mentioned on the radio was a woman with a conviction for prostitution who is a bus driver. This, I believe, is supposed to be a huge scandal to those who hear it. Frankly, who cares. Prostitution should be legal and regulated anyway. Second, it is not that she is taking children to some underground brothel. She seven years ago, was convicted of a law, that shouldn't be a crime in the first place. She was not convicted of molesting children, but having or wishing to engage in sex with other adults for money.

So this woman lost her job because of some fanatic reporter named Rob Koebel. Shame on him and shame on Channel 4. If there were bus drivers who were actual dangers to the children they transport, I would thank him on a well done job for reporting about them. To report on a driver who had a seven year conviction on prostitution (again which should be legal and regulated) does nothing but disgusts me. If you want to e-mail the station to complain about this reporter, their e-mail is tmj4feedback@todaystmj4.com. It would be ironic if he lost his job, like he made that driver lose hers.