Over the strong objections of family, friends and many fellow instructors, the Ann Arbor School Board has terminated a Community High English teacher.
Supporters of Emma Hamstra couldn’t hold back their anger as the board voted to follow the administration’s recommendation. It involved a complaint from a parent regarding poems that were part of her syllabus and used in class for years.
Hamstra’s attorney, David Nacht, described them as, while explicit, fighting degrading speech.
“The whole point of the poems is to make people feel comfortable with themselves. And, of course, they may make some people feel uncomfortable to hear them, but it forces people to think and then feel like, ‘Okay, other people are struggling too.’”
A lawsuit is expected. The district says it doesn’t comment on personnel matters or possible litigation.
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