There’s a person where I work who absolutely hates Christmas. I’ve listened to her go off on it (or other Christian holidays) before in various contexts. She’s just very resentful that her holidays get ignored while we cater to Christians.
I don’t know if the situation in Israel has pushed her over the edge or what, but recently in response to a question asked in class, a student replied something about decorating a Christmas tree, which was a perfectly fine answer. Instead of saying something like, yes that would be appropriate and if they were Jewish or Muslim or Hindi they could do…she snapped at the student that there would be no mentioning of Christmas in her classes.
Just happened to be another teacher in the class observing, who rightly thought she needed to say something because this was a violation of the professionalism and ethics we try to instill in the students regarding cultural competency, respecting different cultural practices, religions, etc. that a health care worker should have. So she did report it, and then students came forward as well complaining about it.
When confronted about it, she was defensive, and basically went with it’s not the same thing if it’s the culturally dominant religion/holiday that you are failing to respect. Her argument is that whenever people talk about Christmas it’s oppressing her, literally this is what she said. There was a lot more to it. She did eventually recognize or at least acknowledge that she was in the wrong and apologized to the class.
The irony (or at least it seems ironic to me) is she’s the one person who really pushes the JEDI stuff, but seems to have also got to the really woke position that it’s alright to discriminate/disrespect if it’s against the group with power. Although in this case, I’m not even sure what that group is nowadays since I would think for a lot (majority?) of Americans Christmas is more akin to Thanksgiving than an explicitly religious holiday like Easter.
What was she teaching? Please tell me it was a “studies” class.
So if the observer teacher had not been there her anti-Christian indoctrination/discrimination would have gone unchecked?
Disrespect of another’s religious holiday is okay because a lot of people celebrate it?
Does she actually understand what the word oppressed means?
The sooner people “wake up” to the fact the Leftists pushing DEI are totalitarians hell bent on oppressing and silencing those that disagree with them the better.
The Supreme Court declared Christmas secular awhile ago.
Let me guess…tenured can’t be fired.
The comment really had nothing to do with what she was teaching, it was in response to someone mentioning “decorating a Christmas tree” as an answer to a question.
Students came forward to complain about it, so it would have likely been addressed even if another teacher didn’t observe it.
We don’t have tenure, but rolling contracts.
I don’t think this really had anything to do with disagreeing with anything. She just hates hearing about Christmas since it’s not her holiday. She said to the person who talked to her about it, how do you think you’d feel if you lived in Israel and had to listen to Jews talk about their holidays all the time when you don’t celebrate them.
Well if it is a comparative religion class question vs. sociology vs. electrical engineering I think it goes to how off base it is.
I’m glad your students feel empowered enough to come forward, that’s not always the case.
But not a firing offense? Imagine if she had gone on a rant about affirmative action.
What’s her holiday then? I have good friends that are Jewish, Hindi, and atheists (born in Communist China) and they are HUGE celebrants of Christmas. Now they don’t do the Church part but everything else all in (the atheists actually “celebrate Hanukkah” too. Menorah and Christmas tree up IIRC.)
If I was in Israel for Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, I’d be respectful and not degrade it. Hell I live here and have gone to seder. Best Jewish holiday…Purim since it’s a encourages boozing!
It’s off base regardless of what class it was in because an aspect of training future health care workers is one thing you try to instill in them is a professionalism to work with people of any background respectfully.
No way is it a firing offense, I don’t think it even arises to a disciplinary offense of any kind in light of the fact that she apologized to the students.
She’s Jewish.
Hell we do Christmas, entirely secularly with the family. We’ve sort of done Hanukah, at least the gifts part, in the past because my wife’s side of the family is half Jewish. My wife also does an Advent calendar with the kids. I’m not even sure what that is exactly, is it Catholic thing?
