Florida Principal ducks and flunks - update

I suppose I ought to say something about the former principal of Spanish River High School, since it is another “Florida man” story -- in this case, “Florida principal” doing something the rest of the country finds profoundly weird.

  He is weird. But this is a case in which weirdness surrounds him.

  You probably saw the case in your local paper, here  or on TV . A parent didn’t think the school was doing enough to Remember the Holocaust, and the principal said he wasn’t forcing the Holocaust on people who believe otherwise. The mother persisted. The teacher came back on Email with the story’s money quote:

  “I can’t say the Holocaust is a factual, historical event because I am not in a position to do so as a school district employee. I do allow information about the Holocaust to be presented and allow students and parents to make decisions about it accordingly. I do the same with information about slavery.”

 And it hits the fan after the break.

 Actually, all the 10^th graders at Spanish River read Elie Weisel’s Night, and there are units on the Holocaust in two history classes, and an optional Holocaust studies class. I guess I should also mention that Spanish River is located so close to Boca Raton that the people who live there like to think of themselves as West Boca. And many of them have been protesting one thing or another since they disliked U.S. ties with Francisco Franco.

 It is pretty well agreed that the principal himself is not a Holocaust denier. He believes in it. Some of us would say there was a day when there was no question of “believing” in facts. As they used to say, “186,282 miles per second isn’t just a good idea; it’s a law.” 

 But this is not that day.

 Proof comes from the School Board, which forthwith removed the principal to a desk job to be named. “In addition to being offensive, the principal’s statement is not supported by either the School District or the School Board.”

  That fire-extinguisher statement, from our educational leaders, leaves others besides the district and the board to believe anything they wish about the existence or non-existence of the Holocaust. It’s hardly the ringing defense of truth one would expect from, um, educational leaders: The School Board does not believe the world is flat, but if you happen to believe that, the School Board – without judging the facts – will remove the globes if you find them hurtful. Just don't tell the newspaper.

 There is a lot more of such pussyfooting going on in a land where Donald John Trump is considered an authority,  but let go to the statement that sent me into the swoon.

 This one is from “Florida senator.” Rick Scott, who used to governor and now unaccountably sits in the Senate, Tweeteth: “The fact that someone charged with educating children would be unable to speak unequivocally on the realities & horrors of the holocaust (sic) is incredibly concerning.”

 That is the same Rick Scott who, as governor, ordered state officials and scientists not to mention the dread words: “Climate change.”

 That it was an order was denied, but, fortunately, the state Senate hearing in which senators tried and failed to get the Emergency Management Director to use the banned words is still available on Youtube.

 It’s hard to figure out which Florida Man’s foible the Spanish River High case has highlighted. It is hypocrisy? Stupidity? Lazy thinking? Fear of monsters in red caps?

 There will be another episode soon enough.

UPDATE -- The Superintendent has been heard from. He says he will recommend that the principal's contract not be renewed -- in effect, firing him. The School Board chairman said Amen to that. By then all the local politicians and Jewish organizations had weighed in heavily on the teacher -- who is not a Holocaust denier, but is only an enabler of Holocaust deniers. Where did he get the idea that he had to make room for the denier's opinions. Well, some of his sharp political critics have  been heard to argue for Biblical science to get equal attention with, um, scientific science.
 What I am saying is, if you look at the big picture, worse offenders are skating over the frozen corpse of one guy just trying to keep out of Tweeting range of the crazies.