Gregory Harrison, Teacher Who Used Obama Assassination As Classroom Example, Apologizes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An Alabama teacher who used a hypothetical assassination of President Barack Obama as an example in a geometry lesson says he is sorry.

Jefferson County teacher Gregory Harrison released a statement Thursday saying his comments were inappropriate, and he called them a "very serious error."

Harrison previously was suspended with pay, and school officials say he's now giving up 10 days of salary but likely won't have to miss more time in the classroom. He's also getting a formal reprimand and must undergo diversity and sensitivity training.

Harrison was teaching a lesson on tangent lines and angles earlier this month when he discussed the possible gunshot assassination of Obama.

The Secret Service interviewed Harrison but determined there was no credible threat. No charges were filed.

Comments

[drini]

12:21 PM on 05/29/2010

I just started high school in '63 when Kennedy was President. Home room/world history teacher was the nut who had attacked Adlai Stevenson in Dallas....she was a great teacher but utterly despised anything Democrat, especially the Kennedys.

On Nov. 22nd, when the news first came in, we were sent back to our home rooms. When Walter Cronkite announced Kennedy's death, she went over to her world map and whipped it up with a snap.....under the map she had written: This is a day for Rejoicing, not Sadness.

she got into a lot of trouble, but you know what, she made me learn to look at both sides of an issue and then decide for myself.....thank you Mrs. Handley!

[alisonv]

12:29 AM on 05/30/2010

Maybe I'm not clear on how someone who told you exactly how to feel about the day our President was murdered made you look at both sides of an issue. Is there "another side" of the issue of murder?

She should have gotten in a lot of trouble. My parents were/are life-long Republicans and hate the Democrats' views. But they were very upset that our President was murdered.

[emma richmond]

11:53 AM on 05/29/2010

This Harrison guy should have been fired, some children just as some adult have frigid Mines and it don't take much to push them over the edge, it was the school job to get rid of this guy he have no business teaching, but what can say about a State like Alabama, President Obama is Black they have no regards for any other Ethnic group except being white, I know, this Harrison guy should have been removed from teaching day one. He didn't apologize to the right person, he should have apologized to the President, if his apology is like Glenn Beck which wasn't an apology take it and stick it.These same people go out there and do this sh.., which is in their heart and think they can erase it by saying I apologize that is the oldest game.

[ladybugmagic]

10:36 AM on 05/29/2010

I think the only positive thing from all of this is that someone outed this man. One of his students must have complained, which hopefully means their wingnut brainwashing is not taking full effect.

[jazz41]

04:04 PM on 05/28/2010

Not the brightest bulb...to say the least!

[murphthesurf3]

02:04 PM on 05/28/2010

I WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE TEACHER.
I WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.
I AM NOW UNHAPPY WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD.

Even if you do not respect the person holding the office, you respect the office.
Even if you disagree with his positions vehemently, you do not advocate violence as a remedy.

There is still something deeply wrong about this whole situation.

I do not want the man fired. But, it sure sounds like this is being dealt with in a manner that is perfunctory and minimalistic.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS:

What led this man to provide the example he offered his students?
Why did he, in the moment, believe it was useful and appropriate?
How did the students respond then?
What do they think now?
What is the parental/family response/reaction to this?
How do black students in the school feel?
How do white students in the school feel?
How do other students of color in the school feel?
What lessons have been learned?
How does "sensitivity and diversity training" for the teacher benefit the students he teaches?
What is there is the school, community environment that supports this kind of behavior?

[madame48]

01:30 PM on 05/28/2010

This stuff is the result of 2 years of the Rush/Palin/Beck verbal diarrhea of HATE...you think these kids will just forget? And if this lesson were done of Ronnie Reagan? GOP heads would explode

[capitaldysfunction]

02:01 PM on 05/28/2010

Go back a few pages and you will see the right wing trolls just love this sight. Funny how discussing assassinating a president brings out the haters.

[MoscowMoo]

01:17 PM on 05/28/2010

I see all the conservative posts below doing what conservatives do best when they get caught behaving reprehensibly: They accuse the other side of doing the same (or worse).

So, conservatives, if the defense you are giving is true (i.e., that liberals also made death scenarios against Bush), let’s see some proof. Seriously -- do a web search and provide some links.

Unfortunately, your searches would turn up QUITE the opposite. Not only was it considered wrong (by both liberals and conservatives alike) to suggest assassinating the president back when Bush was in office, but it was even considered wrong to merely say you disagreed with the president. The Dixie Chicks discovered this the hard way when they expressed mild criticism of Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. Their comments were met with howling outrage from the right, a huge boycott of their music, and a torrent of death threats against them (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6353021.stm ).

Or how about the guy who told Dick Cheney that his “policies in Iraq were disgusting”?? No death threat there. Nevertheless, the guy was arrested and charged with assault (see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/25/arrested-war-critic-seeks_n_83220.html ).

Or how about Bill Maher when he said something disparaging about Bush’s foreign policy? His show was promptly canceled (http://www.answers.com/topic/bill-maher). Same with Phil Donohue (http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0226-11.htm ).

[MoscowMoo]

01:33 PM on 05/28/2010

So, yup, in summary, a group of singing girls expresses mild opposition to Bush’s war policy, and they get death threats. Two TV talk show hosts in two separate incidents are not sufficiently rah-rahing behind Bush’s war, and they lose their jobs. An anonymous member of the public tells Cheney he doesn’t like his policies in Iraq, and the guy gets arrested and charged with a crime. Meanwhile, flash forward to 2010, and we now have TV talk show hosts (on Fox) making racial slurs against the president and even encouraging his overthrow -- and they are branded as being patriots exercising their freedom of speech. We have tea partiers who hold public rallies calling for the president’s head (literally), and ditto on the “wonderful patriots” compliments. We have a teacher helping his students figure out the proper geometric trajectory for assassinating the president, and he is merely docked 10 days of pay. The list goes on and on.

Yep, conservatives, you can post all you want as you attempt to rewrite history to justify your own utterly contemptible behavior. But just remember one thing: Liberals don’t swallow lies as easily as your fellow conservatives do. Liberals don’t fall for whatever mass-forwarded political hoax lands in their in-box. Liberals don’t believe nonsensically rewritten history just because they like the way it sounds. Liberals actually live in the reality-based world where facts are supported by research.

[AnthropologistAmongApes]

02:04 PM on 05/28/2010

When I look at posts such as yours and compare it to those on the right, I am reminded of just how assymetrical cognition, ideology and values are. Well stated!

[capitaldysfunction]

02:50 PM on 05/28/2010

I second that emotion. Fanned and faved.

[Rooster Coburn]

12:51 PM on 05/28/2010

Don't like geometry, huh? Then why not just say so?

[enhancedvibes]

12:46 PM on 05/28/2010

This teacher should be required to issue an apology and explanation of why his math example was wrong to his class and to the entire school as in all likelihood every student has heard about it by now. Epic fail on the principal's part if he/she doesnt require a public apology to the students.

[Lilith Anderson]

12:24 PM on 05/28/2010

Send an email to the Alabama Education Association. Their email address is on their website. This is just Outrageous. With so many School Shootings since Columbine. I would think he should not be teaching any child anything!

[Ohene]

11:56 AM on 05/28/2010

American society is sick! This will not happen anywhere in the world -- Palin, Rush, Beck, Bachmann, and now Gregory Harrison.

[Vernie31]

11:52 AM on 05/28/2010

You will never hear this story being reported on Fox news!

[MoscowMoo]

01:47 PM on 05/28/2010

Actually, sometimes you will. But with the facts completely rearranged and rewritten in a manner that supports their position.

[tdwctw0588]

11:49 AM on 05/28/2010

Can these teachers that are just plain idiotic be FIRED? That is not something any child should be hearing, whether they like the President or not! Just unacceptable behavior.

[madame48]

01:31 PM on 05/28/2010

yes...this is definitely cause for firing...NO contract can cover for this stuff

[Klarsonent]

11:48 AM on 05/28/2010

This teacher should be fired. There's no excuse for his conduct - NONE.

[AwShucks]

11:40 AM on 05/28/2010

Ok? Now here is a teacher who should sell his degree on ebay for some common sense.