Christine Rubino, Teacher Who Said Kids Deserved To Drown, Getting Job Back; City Vows To Fight (VIDEO)

Christine Rubino, a former teacher who wrote her students 'deserved to drown,' has successfully won back her job at Brooklyn Public School 203. But her victory might be short-lived: city officials have vowed to appeal the judge's ruling, the New York Daily News reports.

According to the report, the day after a 12-year-old girl from Harlem drowned on a school trip to Long Island beach, Rubino posted the following on Facebook:

After today, I am thinking the beach sounds like a wonderful idea for my 5th graders! I HATE THEIR GUTS!

When a friend commented on the status, Rubino responded even more inappropriately, the New York Post reports.

When a Facebook friend asked Rubino, "Oh you would let little Kwame float away!" the teacher responded with: "Yes, I would [sic] not throw a life jacket in for a million!!" according to the Post.

Despite the judge's ruling that the school had to rehire Rubino, city Law Department spokeswoman Connie Pankratz says officials plan to fight the ruling, telling the Daily News that the teacher's behavior fit the initial punishment.

"We firmly believe that Ms. Rubino's comments, which the court found 'repulsive,' as well as her other conduct of which she was found guilty, warranted her termination," Pankratz said.

Rubino, who was fired one year ago after her behavior was brought to light, told WABC-TV she's done enough to make up for the incident.

"I was sorry from day one. I didn't know it would become such a big deal," she told the station."I made a mistake. I think I paid the price whole heartedly. There should be forgiveness in the world, I am sorry."

WATCH:

Comments

[proudmommyof2]

09:04 AM on 10/16/2012

Bonita Rose - do you know Christine? I do for a long time, more than 20 years. The post was removed from Facebook before this became a news item because she thought better of it. Christine is a very intelligent woman and I would let her teach either one of my kids in a heartbeat, she is welcome in my home any day of the week.

[mrmeowmeow]

05:34 PM on 07/13/2012

This woman needs to learn to separate her work life from her personal life. Why is she posting these comments on facebook anyway? And why does she have her colleagues on her facebook? I teach high school for a living right now. Just do your job, go home, and put your energies into something you do find fulfilling.

[Yeahok10]

02:14 PM on 05/07/2012

I have worked with this teacher for over 14 years...and not only is she a good teacher, but she USA good person....because she vented on Facebook (wrong forum)-her whole life shoud be ruined over a sarcastic comment. Also, she didnt say she wanted to drown them, and has never had any children on her watch harmed ever. The readers, of this smut...are so dumb...you don't even now the whole story-yet...quick to jump in with ridiculous comments. People-stop believing all that the media shoves down your throat.and she won in court because the judge felt the decision to terminate her for a "one time lapse of judgement"-was shocking to the conscience....that's all that it was!

[Katarina Minola]

04:21 AM on 02/26/2012

I don't believe for one second that she is sorry for anything she said. There is so much evil in the world that it's got to be hard for anyone to let their children out of their site. I do hope that the school district where she is a teacher, will find a way to successfully terminate her.

[Blake Smith 21]

10:27 PM on 02/26/2012

So I guess if you make a comment someone disagrees with, you should be fired, right? Are you against freedom of speech as well? It looks like it. She made a COMMENT. I'm sure she didn't mean it, she was probably just angry at the time.

[Katarina Minola]

01:26 AM on 02/27/2012

Do you seriously think that is why I said what I said? I don't think this is really a matter of free speech, do you? What exactly are your thoughts on this story? Do you think a school should have to keep a teacher that says something like that, and then tries to play it off as an off the cuff remark? Would you want this teacher to teach or child or even be any where near your child? I don't believe that she was telling the truth about being sorry for her comments and for that I think she should be fired. I think schools have every right to demand a certain standard by which teachers should conduct themselves. Why wouldn't we all want that from our teachers and other leaders?

[TarzanaGirl]

03:08 AM on 02/09/2012

Another teacher with another inappropriate Facebook post? So how many does this make? That said, FIRE this unprofessional individual and replace her with one of the hundreds of thousands of out-of-work educators! C'mon...with so many teachers that have been laid off, it's not as if she would be difficult to replace. Or perhaps they're afraid of a discriminatory lawsuit (?)

[Sandra Heiston]

05:23 PM on 02/09/2012

It wouldn't be discriminatory; her skin is entirely too light in color. However, if she had been black, she might have been forgiven, if she made that same comment regarding white kids.

[TarzanaGirl]

08:09 PM on 02/09/2012

Hi Sandra - You're probably right about the discrimination factor, although I was referring to the teacher's last name more than her skin color. There is no other explanation as to why she was not fired (?). Having been a 'substitute teacher' at one time I do understand the difficulties that teachers face each and every day - however, that does NOT excuse the comments she posted on Facebook. Regardless of the final outcome, this woman is obviously not bright enough to realize that this would come back to haunt her. After all, what parent is going to want their child in her class? She's also given herself a public reputation and that is something that she will probably always have to deal with. Such a travesty with so many out-of-work teachers....

[CateManhattan]

10:40 PM on 02/08/2012

It's better that she said what she said because we now know she is not fit to be in a classroom.

[bigbe]

08:23 PM on 02/08/2012

When you put ''sic'' in a sentence, it means their is an errror in the original and you have copied the error intentionally. Unless I have gone blind, their is no error in the punctuation or spelling so why the ''sic''?

[Erin DeCaprio]

09:03 AM on 02/09/2012

Maybe the original included [sic]? Would you then make that "...would [sic] [sic]..." I was confused by that as well...

[bluefalcon06]

06:03 PM on 02/08/2012

She shouldn't be teaching. That is disgusting that she would say that about her students.

[fredimessina]

04:44 PM on 02/08/2012

It takes effort to make a statement that repulsive. Not to mention the fact that she even responded to a comment that a friend made. If I had a child attending that school, I would have a real problem with this.

[ascri38223]

03:01 PM on 02/08/2012

OH GREAT!! Another $900 trillon dollar nut case!

[Robyn Singleton]

02:37 PM on 02/08/2012

They let her be a teacher??

[Henssis1]

02:01 PM on 02/08/2012

Rubino is sick in the head and has NO business being around any children...

[Linda Moberg]

02:00 PM on 02/08/2012

Ms. Rubino says she made a mistake! The comment about hating all her students and then not even throwing a life preserver to one of her students is unfitting of someone who is teaching our children. Most schools allow parents to visit the classrooms of their children and even sit in. If this was my child's class and she was rehired, I would most definately think about sitting in on her classes and showing up without notice to her and doing this frequently. She may be burned out on teaching and it is time to find another job as I don't think a teacher should be saying those things about her students. I was a sub for 12 yrs and 8 of them were in the high school. Teaching is NOT the easiest job in the world, with budget cuts, large classes, no money for books or supplies, etc. I have also subbed on numerous occassions for teachers who didn't even know what day of the week it was, yet because of tenure couldn't be fired. This teacher is not sorry for what she said but getting caught! Everyone has a bad day, the school had just lost a child to drowning in a bus accident! Her comments were inappropriate and if she needed to talk to someone, she should have picked up the phone or gone and visited that person, or someone. Sorry, I wouldn't want her in my school and I wouldn't want to work with her either.

[mneff07]

01:46 PM on 02/08/2012

Some of those kids are a bit unruly. I mean like doing a dirty in the coat room--- or putting something dead in the teachers desk, like the head of a classmate.

[Bonita Rose]

01:41 PM on 02/08/2012

"After today, I am thinking the beach sounds like a wonderful idea for my 5th graders! I HATE THEIR GUTS!" This was the comment......And she's sorry? Sorry is when you write something on Facebook, then delete the posting because it was either inappropriate, not worth writing, or whatever. This woman wrote this statement with every intention of "letting it be known". She was sorry AFTER it caused so much flak. And her other comments....She obviously meant to say what she said, if it was an involuntary reaction such as when you hit your hand with a hammer while nailing something down, or you bump your shin, I know involuntary words come out of one's mouth (usually)...but....this was a conscience remark that she took the time to write, read over, and had the choice to either remove or keep there for the "world to see". I hope this teacher loses her job once and for all. She may be the best teacher ever, turning out genius children, even if she walked on water....she should be terminated permanently. We all have negative remarks now and then, we're human. But..to willingly and knowingly write and say such remarks as ""Yes, I would [sic] not throw a life jacket in for a million!!" then I ask....."What are you doing in a classroom with children to lead, to teach?" This woman is dangerous. Tell the parents of the drowned child that she's sorry. I'm sorry too.......

[raystowntransit]

12:00 PM on 02/09/2012

Great post Bonita...F&F. I do doubt however that this piece of garbage was the "best teacher ever", or turned out any genius students. She could be the poster teacher against tenure in public schools.