When Bullying is Acceptable

One month ago, a high school Social Studies teaching in North Carolina had a little problem in the classroom.


Tanya Dixon-Neeley went on a tirade on one of her students when he challenged the information she was using to indoctrinate her classroom. Student Hunter Rogers, the target of this teacher's ire, recorded the incident, put it on the Internet and it went viral. The student also did interviews about the incident. As a result, Dixon-Neeley was suspended with pay, but later was allowed to return the next year.

Since the incident, things at the high school have not gone very well for Hunter Rogers. He has faced harassment from Dixon-Neely, some of which could possibly stoke his peers to harass, as well as from the staff and administration; many of them related to Dixon-Neeley. The administration also suspended him for recording in the classroom; the first time they chose to enforce this rule. Furthermore, the school district has rejected Rogers's parents request to homeschool him for the remainder of the year, making him go into school to face the harassment, which apparently, is not being put to a stop. This is a clear act of retribution and it's not only allowing, but encouraging Rogers to be bullied for his brave action. I thought society was against bullying and trying to curtail incidents of it?!? (At least that's what is going on in New Jersey.) Sadly, this is another example of saying one thing and doing the opposite. Until words and actions meet, bullying may never be solved.

If the past month has been any evidence, it will be a vicious atmosphere for Hunter Rogers next year, his senior year, in that school; plus there is the chance Tanya Dixon-Neeley could be his teacher again, as well as any one of her relatives. I would make the recommendation that the parents of Hunter Rogers pull him out of that school next year, and either choose to homeschool him or send him to another school. The offenses committed by the school against Hunter Rogers also warrant the parents to sue the school system for harassment and defamation of character, in a civil court, which will further expose how a bunch of political hacks running the school are singling out this young man for speaking out against a bad teacher. It's actions like this by educators in America, and it's not the only one, that continue to give the American public school system and bad name and reputation.