Overland teacher attacked for controversial remarks...
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How does one, 20 minute tape of material allow for a teacher to be forced to go on leave? Thought provoking questions and statements should be encouraged--leave it up to the students to define their positon on controversial issues rather than telling them their position.
New accusations prolong teacher probeCherry Creek School District officials want to look into comments arising after Jay Bennish's media appearances Tuesday.
By Robert Sanchez and Karen Rouse
Denver Post Staff Writers
Cherry Creek School District administrators are prolonging an investigation of a controversial Overland High School teacher, saying new accusations surfaced Tuesday after the social studies teacher appeared in interviews on national and local media.
Jay Bennish, accused of making biased remarks against President Bush's foreign policy, appeared in person on NBC's "Today" show in New York. He also conducted a telephone interview with KHOW 630-AM talk- show host Peter Boyles to defend his statements, which he said were used to promote open debate in his classroom.
District spokeswoman Tustin Amole said today's scheduled meeting with Bennish was postponed after school administrators received phone calls from "people we have not talked to before."
Amole would not elaborate on the exact number of calls or the nature of the accusations.
"There's more information, and we need to see if this is new, or if we've heard it before," Amole said. "We'll be talking (to the callers) soon."
Bennish - a 28-year-old social studies teacher and a six-year veteran of the district - was placed on paid administrative leave last week after a 16-year- old student made a recording of the teacher's classroom comments public.
In the recording, Bennish noted "eerie similarities" between Bush's remarks during his recent State of the Union address and "things that Adolf Hitler used to say." He also said capitalism is "at odds with human rights" and that the United States is probably "the most violent" nation on Earth.
Bennish told reporters Tuesday that the tape is a mere 20 minutes "out of one semester of material" and that he doesn't necessarily believe everything he says in class.
"I think all of this has been taken out of context," he said when he arrived in Denver from New York.
"The main reason I say those racy or thought-provoking perspectives (is) I'm trying to provoke my students to go out there and decide for themselves," he said earlier in a telephone interview from New York.
New accusations prolong teacher probeCherry Creek School District officials want to look into comments arising after Jay Bennish's media appearances Tuesday.
By Robert Sanchez and Karen Rouse
Denver Post Staff Writers
Cherry Creek School District administrators are prolonging an investigation of a controversial Overland High School teacher, saying new accusations surfaced Tuesday after the social studies teacher appeared in interviews on national and local media.
Jay Bennish, accused of making biased remarks against President Bush's foreign policy, appeared in person on NBC's "Today" show in New York. He also conducted a telephone interview with KHOW 630-AM talk- show host Peter Boyles to defend his statements, which he said were used to promote open debate in his classroom.
District spokeswoman Tustin Amole said today's scheduled meeting with Bennish was postponed after school administrators received phone calls from "people we have not talked to before."
Amole would not elaborate on the exact number of calls or the nature of the accusations.
"There's more information, and we need to see if this is new, or if we've heard it before," Amole said. "We'll be talking (to the callers) soon."
Bennish - a 28-year-old social studies teacher and a six-year veteran of the district - was placed on paid administrative leave last week after a 16-year- old student made a recording of the teacher's classroom comments public.
In the recording, Bennish noted "eerie similarities" between Bush's remarks during his recent State of the Union address and "things that Adolf Hitler used to say." He also said capitalism is "at odds with human rights" and that the United States is probably "the most violent" nation on Earth.
Bennish told reporters Tuesday that the tape is a mere 20 minutes "out of one semester of material" and that he doesn't necessarily believe everything he says in class.
"I think all of this has been taken out of context," he said when he arrived in Denver from New York.
"The main reason I say those racy or thought-provoking perspectives (is) I'm trying to provoke my students to go out there and decide for themselves," he said earlier in a telephone interview from New York.
