Teacher told peace banner not appropriate

MyFox Tampa Bay
Nov. 11, 2007

SARASOTA - It may sound strange, but extra security was on hand for a Veterans Day ceremony at Bay Haven Elementary School Friday.

A color guard and patriotic drumming is usually enough excitement for most elementary schools, but this year, Bay Haven's celebration included protestors.

The issue is whether kids should also learn about alternatives to war.

It all began when a teacher and a mother worked with a 4th grade class on an unusual Veterans

Day map of the country.

They even put out an email to colleagues asking for the names of conscientious objectors and their hometowns so they could be put on the map.

A principal stepped in and said the project was not appropriate for students so young, but now it's blown up into a national debate.

One parent even got on the Rush Limbaugh radio program.

"This is not a hoax?" asked Limbaugh

"No sir, this is true. Kids are making a banner that includes the names of conscientious objectors," answered the caller.

Limbaugh's faithful listeners quickly flooded the school with emails and phone calls.

"It's been difficult since a national entertainer spread it around the world," said principal Betsy Asheim-Dean.

The principal says she's all for free speech, but doesn't think our youngest students are ready yet to hear about war protesting.

Some disagree. A group of protestors showed up at the school Friday to support the teacher.

"We're trying to back the teacher who has the rights according to the first amendment and also to teach about the opposition to war," said Jay Alexander with the group Veterans for Peace. The head of the Sarasota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says the state office is looking into whether the teacher's free speech was violated.

The school principal says they need to take that up with state education officials who dictate curriculum.