When the Past Catches Up with the Present (Commentary by Johnathen Tan)

When the Past Catches Up with the Present

(Commentary by Johnathen Tan)

An American mathematics teacher was fired from her job when it was revealed that one of her students discovered a topless self-taken picture of her on the Internet. It is understood that the picture was meant for her former partner’s viewing only, but unfortunately, it surfaced online. Since then, she has filed a three-million-dollar lawsuit against the school for gender discrimination.

Here’s my take on this. The society expects certain traits from teachers who have to abide by moral standards in order to “practise what they preach” as educators, especially in elementary, middle and high schools – where they are somewhat seen as role models.

As much I don’t like to say this, I wonder if she will be ever seen as a clean-cut teacher with admirable feats ever again. With her nude photo coming to light, the chances of her being viewed sexually by her colleagues and students are high – which will then directly affect her personally and professionally, in a damaging manner. Therefore, it is somewhat understandable that she was let go of her job – possibly for her own protection.

However, some would compare this to the emergence of teacher-student relationship cases in the United States, with the latter being less severe – in my opinion. This is just the result of being reckless online. Meanwhile, some teachers involved in those cases weren’t let go of their jobs. One was given an administrative leave and the other one, a suspension – as remarked in the article below.

I’m sitting on the fence for this one. As someone who was born and bred in Malaysia, the social standards here demand educators, or teachers, to be respectable figures with no underlying scandals – and rightfully so. Teachers, here in Malaysia, have to maintain a positive image of themselves because if any sort of scandal is anyhow linked to them, their careers will be stained. However, I do believe that people should be given second chances, because people change regardless of better or worse.

So, I guess this begs the question; should we be judged based on our past actions online? More often than not, yes – regardless of how long ago. It is apparent that what was considered “okay” a few years back, has become derogatory in our current day and age. I have said this before; people can do anything they want online – but there is where the danger lies.

Remember folks, once it goes online, it’s always online.

For further reading, explore the news article below.

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Should Teachers be Fired for Nude Pics from Their Past?

Lauren Miranda sent a nude selfie to a boyfriend years ago. Somehow one of her students discovered it.

• Math teacher Lauren Miranda was fired from her Long Island school when a topless selfie surfaced.
• Miranda had only shared the photo with her ex-boyfriend, who is also a teacher in the school district.
• She's suing the school for $3 million as well as getting her job back, citing gender discrimination.
• Chalk it up to the recurring "blame the woman" sentiment one gender has endured for eons. Only this woman is fighting back.

Math teacher Lauren Miranda walked into Bellport Middle School, situated blocks from Long Island's Bellport Bay, as she did every other January day. Only this one took a turn for the worse when a male student revealed he was in possession of a topless selfie of her.

At first, Miranda didn't even recognize the photo. Then she realized she had sent it to a male teacher in the district she had previously been dating. So far, she is still not sure how the photo leaked.

Miranda then had to meet with her (predominantly male) superiors and colleagues, who decided to fire her from her post despite an impeccable teaching record. Instead of cowering to the demand, however, she told Inside Edition:

"There's nothing wrong with my picture. My picture's pure, it's womanly. I think my body is beautiful, he thinks my body is beautiful also. Why should I not be able to take that picture?"

Then she hit the school district with a $3 million lawsuit and is demanding her job back. The focus of the lawsuit? Gender discrimination.

The firing seems ill-advised, especially considering other situations between students and teachers. Earlier this year in Arizona, sixth-grade teacher Brittany Zamora was discovered to be carrying on a relationship with a 13-year-old student. The teacher allegedly fondled the boy in class and had sex with him in front of another student. She was placed on administrative leave.

Former Miss Kentucky, Ramsey Bearse, was suspended from her position as a middle school science teacher in West Virginia after being accused of texting nude photographs to a 15-year-old former student over Snapchat last year.

There is no shortage of teacher-student relationships over the past few decades. Unsurprisingly, most media attention is devoted to female teachers and male students.

In Miranda's case, there was no relationship or sexting. Just the machinations of our digital lives impeding on personal privacy once again.

Yet we've entered a new and refreshing phase in American society, one in which women like Miranda don't back down when receiving unwarranted criticism or losing their job. Joseph Giani, the school district's superintendent, stated that he was about to recommend Miranda for a promotion before he saw the selfie; Miranda had received the top rating in every category the previous year during an evaluation.

Giani then said that Miranda "failed to take adequate precautionary measures" for blocking students from gaining access to the three-year-old photo, and even "caused, allowed, or otherwise made it possible" for students to get a hold of it.

Outside of Miranda's ex-boyfriend's phone or computer being hacked, there is likely only one other explanation. Worst case scenario, it's a plot between Miranda and her ex. Even if that were the case, however, the school board's reaction is overblown.

Director Lina Esco attends 'Free The Nipple' New York Premiere at IFC Center on December 11, 2014 in New York City.

It's time for men to grow up and reckon with female sexuality. Scroll through any fitness feed in Instagram and you'll quickly discover thousands of dudes with their shirts off. Women have to spend extra time doctoring any "revealing" photo they want to post to ensure that their nipples are blurred or blacked out.

This entire spectacle reminds me of my first visit to France in 2000. Bus stops featured topless women; magazine stands were filled with nipples from every gender. From there, we traveled to Barcelona, where beaches do not discriminate when it comes to stripping down. None of this presentation or behavior is perceived as sexual or "dirty." It's simply part of the social fabric of expression.

Not in sexually repressed America, which is still waging a 400-year-long Puritanical battle against the female body. Instead of an opportunity for discussing femininity and feminism in the Long Island classroom, male administrators fell back on the expected: Ban the female. Honest conversations about sexuality and boundaries with students would provide actual teachable moments instead of the circus this has become.

It's time to stop blaming women for men's inability to control themselves. Freeing the nipple is only the first step into a broader and necessary discussion regarding human bodies. Until men are willing to engage in a meaningful dialogue on the subject, women will continue to be the victim of male immaturity, vitriol, and violence. That's no way to educate anyone.

Source(s):
https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/lauren-miranda?rebelltitem=3#rebelltitem3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkBL6W5c4iw

Image Source: John Lamparski/Getty Images