Student Suspended for Requesting Instruction in English, Sues College

[OriginalShroom]

Wanting the class to be taught in English is "Discrimmatory and Bigotry"?

In America?

Student Suspended for Requesting Instruction in English, Sues College

Fifty-year-old student Terri Bennett is suing Pima Community College (PCC) in Pima County, Arizona for allegedly labeling her a "bigot" and suspending her from school for asking if her nursing studies curriculum could be taught in English to make it easier to learn.
According Bennett's legal complaint, she started nursing classes at PCC in January 2013. During classroom hours, she and her fellow students were divided up into smaller groups, and she was "the only first-language English speaker" in her group. The other students in her group "spoke primarily in Spanish."

The students were asked to fill out class evaluations in March and were told their answers would remain anonymous. Thus, Bennett indicated on her evaluation she would prefer "there were no Spanish in the classroom."

During another class, Bennett stated shortly after turning in her evaluation, Spanish was used so heavily in the classroom that she said she could not "concentrate." By April 3, Bennett claimed her learning environment was so challenging that she "followed PCC procedures and requested an interview with the Director of the Nursing Program."

Bennett's complaint alleges that, after she told nursing director David Kutzler of her struggles, he accused her of "discriminating against Mexican-Americans" and of being a "bigot and a bitch."

The next day, April 4, Bennett was summoned to a broader meeting of PCC staff where she was allegedly told she was "discriminating" and that she would "not get a job" even if she finished her degree. Kutzler allegedly took part in this meeting as well, confronting Bennett with her "anonymous" class evaluation.

On April 15, Bennett was given a routine progress report in which she was accused of having "ineffective communication skills." On April 22, security personnel were waiting for her when she arrived at school; she was suspended and reportedly "instructed to leave campus immediately."

She was given a letter saying her suspension was based on charges that her "presence on College property [posed] a significant risk of disruption of educational activities" and that she "engaged in discriminatory conduct," among other charges.

Liberalism is getting out of hand here.

I hope she wins enough in her lawsuit that she doesn't have to work another day in her life.

$4 million after taxes would be a good sum to start with.

 

[hortysir]

Un-fucking-real

 

[Mr. H.]

Un-fucking-real

Not in the Obamanation it ain't.

 

[Mr. H.]

I shared this to Facebook and titled it: Only in "today's" America..."

 

[R.C. Christian]

Good lord. That's nuts.

 

[Mr. H.]

Liberal academia... it's fucking everywhere.

 

[Vox]

Finally somebody has the balls to SUE!!!

Same should happen if somebody requests you to take off your necklace cross or being abused after wishing somebody "Merry Christmas".

This nonsense can be reversed only by one way - MONEY.
That's all the libtard bigots understand - they hate to loose money and being sued.
Turn their weapon on them.

 

[Intense]

Moved to Education.

 

[Vox]

It is NOT an education topic.

It is as political as it can be

 

[freedombecki]

Wanting the class to be taught in English is "Discrimmatory and Bigotry"?

In America?

Student Suspended for Requesting Instruction in English, Sues College

Fifty-year-old student Terri Bennett is suing Pima Community College (PCC) in Pima County, Arizona for allegedly labeling her a "bigot" and suspending her from school for asking if her nursing studies curriculum could be taught in English to make it easier to learn.
According Bennett's legal complaint, she started nursing classes at PCC in January 2013. During classroom hours, she and her fellow students were divided up into smaller groups, and she was "the only first-language English speaker" in her group. The other students in her group "spoke primarily in Spanish."

The students were asked to fill out class evaluations in March and were told their answers would remain anonymous. Thus, Bennett indicated on her evaluation she would prefer "there were no Spanish in the classroom."

During another class, Bennett stated shortly after turning in her evaluation, Spanish was used so heavily in the classroom that she said she could not "concentrate." By April 3, Bennett claimed her learning environment was so challenging that she "followed PCC procedures and requested an interview with the Director of the Nursing Program."

Bennett's complaint alleges that, after she told nursing director David Kutzler of her struggles, he accused her of "discriminating against Mexican-Americans" and of being a "bigot and a bitch."

The next day, April 4, Bennett was summoned to a broader meeting of PCC staff where she was allegedly told she was "discriminating" and that she would "not get a job" even if she finished her degree. Kutzler allegedly took part in this meeting as well, confronting Bennett with her "anonymous" class evaluation.

On April 15, Bennett was given a routine progress report in which she was accused of having "ineffective communication skills." On April 22, security personnel were waiting for her when she arrived at school; she was suspended and reportedly "instructed to leave campus immediately."

She was given a letter saying her suspension was based on charges that her "presence on College property [posed] a significant risk of disruption of educational activities" and that she "engaged in discriminatory conduct," among other charges.

Liberalism is getting out of hand here.

I hope she wins enough in her lawsuit that she doesn't have to work another day in her life.

$4 million after taxes would be a good sum to start with.

Is the school chartered to do bilingual instructions and operating within state guidelines? If so, why aren't students being screened for proficiency in both languages before entrance to classes?

The breach of her anonymity as a basis for dismissal from classes with armed guards in attendance was over the top unless she relinquished her right to speak English prior to the first day of the semester. It isn't stated whether the school tried to approach her privately first for a resolution to the problem of disrupting classes.

 

[candycorn]

The truth is much different than what the OP indicates; color me shocked:

Dylan Smith
TucsonSentinel.com
A lawsuit alleging that a Pima Community College student was unfairly suspended for objecting to others speaking Spanish in class is being supported by a longtime spokesman for white nationalist and anti-immigration groups. Atlanta-based Phil Kent has joined with Tucson attorney and GOP activist John Munger to back the claims of PCC nursing student Terri Bennett.

Munger and Kent laid out Bennett's claims during a press conference Monday (see video), saying they will eventually seek a six-figure claim against the college.

A college representative said the claims are "entirely without merit."

PCC "denies that any of Ms. Bennett's legal rights were violated and denies that the lawsuit has any basis," said PCC spokesman C.J. Karamargin in an email Monday.

A lawsuit, along with an appeal of a college administrative decision, filed in Bennett's name alleges she was unfairly targeted by PCC officials, and suspended from classes at PCC's Desert Vista campus on the South Side because she contended that other students speaking Spanish during class "was hostile to her as an English speaker."

The filings claim Bennett "was disrupted by students who spoke during the lessons, often in Spanish. Ms. Bennett believes some students were translating the lessons into Spanish for students who were not able to speak English."

"Terri does not speak any language but English," Munger said Monday morning. "Students sitting in front of her or around her in class were repeatedly discussing back in forth — in a foreign language I think was Spanish — the instructor's lectures."

That was "extremely disruptive to her," Munger said.

"The teachers were teaching in English. But ... a large proportion of these classes ... consisted of study groups, labs and clinicals (where Spanish was used by other students)," Munger said.

Bennett, 50, declined to discuss the specifics of her claims, referring questions to Munger. "I want back in college," she said.

Bennett has taken various courses at PCC since 2000, and had been in the college's nursing program for two years, Munger said.

PCC officials said that student-privacy laws mean they are "not able to comment specifically about Terri Bennett's situation."

"This suit is entirely without merit," Karamargin said in a phone interview Friday.

In an email, Karamargin said, "while the legal process is pending, we do not believe it would be appropriate to make a detailed statement about the allegations in the lawsuit."

From Karamargin's email:

The College maintains standards to promote a positive learning environment for all its students and holds students and employees accountable to those standards. The College takes very seriously concerns expressed about conduct that negatively impacts the learning environment. When this type of concern arises, the College conducts a review and, when necessary, takes appropriate corrective action. We are confident the evidence will demonstrate that the College acted appropriately with respect to Ms. Bennett's situation.
PCC Chancellor Lee Lambert also declined to comment on the specifics of Bennett's claims. The emailed statement "reflects our commitment to creating a positive learning environment for our students," he said Friday.


While PCC officials said they couldn't provide further information, the filings outline Bennett's account of how administrators handled her suspension.

According to the filings, after Bennett complained in March about students speaking Spanish, she met with a series of PCC administrators, who discounted her claims.

PCC officials told Bennett she was being suspended because she argued with an instructor about a test answer, complained about students speaking Spanish in and out of class, and displayed intimidating behavior toward students, staff and faculty, the filings said.

Munger declined to provide copies of the documents from PCC referenced in the filings, saying they would be filed with the court "in due course."

Bennett's claim said that the coordinator of PCC's nursing program, David Kutzler, called her a "bigot and a bitch," and accused her of "discriminating against Mexican-Americans."

Bennett met with Dr. Ann Parker, Pima's vice president of Student Development, on April 4, and was told on April 22 by PCC police that she was suspended immediately and asked to leave the campus, the filings said.

Bennett was "physically confronted by six armed police officers when she arrived on campus ... handed her suspension papers and ordered to leave the campus under threat of armed force," Munger said.

On April 29, Parker issued "findings and determinations" that Bennett was suspending for arguing with an instructor, complaining about Spanish speaking and intimidating behavior, the claims said.

According to the filing, Parker told Bennett that she was suspended "until she receives counseling to improve her communication style and to learn to be less abrasive with students and instructors."

Munger — a former Republican national committeeman who unsuccessfully sought the 2010 GOP gubernatorial nomination — also claimed that Bennett may be unable to receive financial aid in the the future because "Pima College has caused Terri's federal financial aid to be terminated."

Karamargin said he was unable to provide information on the reasons for Bennett's suspension, or confirm that she had been asked to leave the school.

Speaking generally about financial aid, Karamargin said, "if a student is not enrolled in an educational institution, they are not eligible for financial aid. If they were enrolled in another educational institution, they are able to get financial aid as long as they are not in default."

Bennett filed an appeal asking a judge to reverse her suspension on June 21, but not PCC was not served with that claim until last Monday; Karamargin was not aware of the claim until asked about it by TucsonSentinel.com on Thursday.

Monday morning, Munger filed a lawsuit over Bennett's claims. He said that suit will eventually be amended to seek "six figures" in damages. Bennett will proceed with both the appeal of Pima's suspension and the lawsuit, he said.

Munger alternately referred to Bennett having been suspended and expelled from the school. According to Karamargin, suspensions from PCC "are for a set term" and "involve a breach of the student code of conduct." Expulsions from the school are permanent.

Suspensions from Pima are rare, Karamargin said, "no more than one or two per semester" from among the school's 27,000 students, and are imposted after a "rigorous process" in which the student is "afforded due process."

Karamargin declined to comment Monday on whether Bennett had been suspended, but the court filings indicated that she was suspended through the fall term.

ProEnglish group backs case against classroom Spanish
Phil Kent, an Atlanta-based spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-area group ProEnglish, announced Thursday that the lobbying group is "assisting" with the case. Munger said in an email that the group is partially funding the lawsuit.

Kent, representing the organization that bills itself as "the nation's leading English language advocates (sic)," appeared in Tucson on Monday.

"It's a sad day that we're here filing this suit in Arizona, it's a sad day in the United States of America, for this woman to be persecuted and insulted, discriminated against," Kent said, wearing a tie featuring the Confederate Stars and Bars.

"It is outrageous how Ms. Bennett has been mistreated and discriminated against by Pima County Community College based on her cultural background as an English speaker," Kent wrote last week, announcing ProEnglish's backing of Bennett's suit.

"We are on the lookout for cases like Terri Bennett's," said Kent, a former spokesman for the noted segregationist U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond. "The college has not advertised itself as a multilingual university. They should be having English in the classroom."

ProEnglish was founded in 1994 by John Tanton, who has founded and funded a number of organizations — American Patrol, Federation for American Immigration Reform, American Immigration Control Foundation — listed as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Kent is also the executive director of the American Immigration Control Council, which says its mission is to "educate our fellow citizens on the disastrous effects of uncontrolled immigration."

The liberal watchdog SPLC described one video produced by Kent's group, "Immigration: Making America Less Beautiful?," as a "cornucopia of racist images":

The video depicts a "raging flood" of Latinos, Haitians and other immigrants — "the greatest wave of immigration the world has ever witnessed" — threatening America's "generally European" core with "foreign domination." In the video, Miami is a "Third World nightmare" where "illegal aliens" practice "voodoo" and leave stinking "human waste" in the streets. "America is beautiful," says the narrator. "Why spoil it?"
According to the SPLC, the executive director of ProEnglish, Robert Vandervoort, formerly ran the Chicagoland Friends of American Renaissance, a group of supporters of the work of white supremacist Jared Taylor.

Kent said Monday that Vandervoort was not connected to American Renaissance, and called the SPLC a "extreme left-wing group."

"We're not surprised at the smears," Kent said, saying he was "proudly involved with Americans for Immigration Control."

Kent said the SPLC conducts "character assassination."

TucsonSentinel.com's original reporting and curation of border and immigration news is generously supported in part by a grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.

She's reportedly suing for 6 figures.... Tuition/fees/books at PCC is likely something along the lines of <5,000

 

[freedombecki]

It is NOT an education topic.

It is as political as it can be

Even schools have politics. It's education, all right, Vox.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Wanting the class to be taught in English is "Discrimmatory and Bigotry"?

In America?

Student Suspended for Requesting Instruction in English, Sues College

Fifty-year-old student Terri Bennett is suing Pima Community College (PCC) in Pima County, Arizona for allegedly labeling her a "bigot" and suspending her from school for asking if her nursing studies curriculum could be taught in English to make it easier to learn.
According Bennett's legal complaint, she started nursing classes at PCC in January 2013. During classroom hours, she and her fellow students were divided up into smaller groups, and she was "the only first-language English speaker" in her group. The other students in her group "spoke primarily in Spanish."

The students were asked to fill out class evaluations in March and were told their answers would remain anonymous. Thus, Bennett indicated on her evaluation she would prefer "there were no Spanish in the classroom."

During another class, Bennett stated shortly after turning in her evaluation, Spanish was used so heavily in the classroom that she said she could not "concentrate." By April 3, Bennett claimed her learning environment was so challenging that she "followed PCC procedures and requested an interview with the Director of the Nursing Program."

Bennett's complaint alleges that, after she told nursing director David Kutzler of her struggles, he accused her of "discriminating against Mexican-Americans" and of being a "bigot and a bitch."

The next day, April 4, Bennett was summoned to a broader meeting of PCC staff where she was allegedly told she was "discriminating" and that she would "not get a job" even if she finished her degree. Kutzler allegedly took part in this meeting as well, confronting Bennett with her "anonymous" class evaluation.

On April 15, Bennett was given a routine progress report in which she was accused of having "ineffective communication skills." On April 22, security personnel were waiting for her when she arrived at school; she was suspended and reportedly "instructed to leave campus immediately."

She was given a letter saying her suspension was based on charges that her "presence on College property [posed] a significant risk of disruption of educational activities" and that she "engaged in discriminatory conduct," among other charges.

Liberalism is getting out of hand here.

I hope she wins enough in her lawsuit that she doesn't have to work another day in her life.

$4 million after taxes would be a good sum to start with.

Is the school chartered to do bilingual instructions and operating within state guidelines? If so, why aren't students being screened for proficiency in both languages before entrance to classes?

The breach of her anonymity as a basis for dismissal from classes with armed guards in attendance was over the top unless she relinquished her right to speak English prior to the first day of the semester. It isn't stated whether the school tried to approach her privately first for a resolution to the problem of disrupting classes.

One has to ask, how is it disruptive to the class if she voiced her concerns only to the Professor and Staff? Unless of course the Professor or Instructor was baiting her by informing the other students.

 

[candycorn]

Wanting the class to be taught in English is "Discrimmatory and Bigotry"?

In America?

Student Suspended for Requesting Instruction in English, Sues College

Fifty-year-old student Terri Bennett is suing Pima Community College (PCC) in Pima County, Arizona for allegedly labeling her a "bigot" and suspending her from school for asking if her nursing studies curriculum could be taught in English to make it easier to learn.
According Bennett's legal complaint, she started nursing classes at PCC in January 2013. During classroom hours, she and her fellow students were divided up into smaller groups, and she was "the only first-language English speaker" in her group. The other students in her group "spoke primarily in Spanish."

The students were asked to fill out class evaluations in March and were told their answers would remain anonymous. Thus, Bennett indicated on her evaluation she would prefer "there were no Spanish in the classroom."

During another class, Bennett stated shortly after turning in her evaluation, Spanish was used so heavily in the classroom that she said she could not "concentrate." By April 3, Bennett claimed her learning environment was so challenging that she "followed PCC procedures and requested an interview with the Director of the Nursing Program."

Bennett's complaint alleges that, after she told nursing director David Kutzler of her struggles, he accused her of "discriminating against Mexican-Americans" and of being a "bigot and a bitch."

The next day, April 4, Bennett was summoned to a broader meeting of PCC staff where she was allegedly told she was "discriminating" and that she would "not get a job" even if she finished her degree. Kutzler allegedly took part in this meeting as well, confronting Bennett with her "anonymous" class evaluation.

On April 15, Bennett was given a routine progress report in which she was accused of having "ineffective communication skills." On April 22, security personnel were waiting for her when she arrived at school; she was suspended and reportedly "instructed to leave campus immediately."

She was given a letter saying her suspension was based on charges that her "presence on College property [posed] a significant risk of disruption of educational activities" and that she "engaged in discriminatory conduct," among other charges.

Liberalism is getting out of hand here.

I hope she wins enough in her lawsuit that she doesn't have to work another day in her life.

$4 million after taxes would be a good sum to start with.

Is the school chartered to do bilingual instructions and operating within state guidelines? If so, why aren't students being screened for proficiency in both languages before entrance to classes?

The breach of her anonymity as a basis for dismissal from classes with armed guards in attendance was over the top unless she relinquished her right to speak English prior to the first day of the semester. It isn't stated whether the school tried to approach her privately first for a resolution to the problem of disrupting classes.

The school wasn't teaching the class in Spanish. Students were conversing in Spanish around her. Here is the actual story; not the Beirbart version...

Pima College targeted by ProEnglish group over classroom Spanish

 

[Unkotare]

As usual, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle of these conflicting accounts.

 

[Katzndogz]

The medical community will be greatly served by doctors and nurses not being able to speak the same language.

 

[Katzndogz]

Wanting the class to be taught in English is "Discrimmatory and Bigotry"?

In America?



Liberalism is getting out of hand here.

I hope she wins enough in her lawsuit that she doesn't have to work another day in her life.

$4 million after taxes would be a good sum to start with.

Is the school chartered to do bilingual instructions and operating within state guidelines? If so, why aren't students being screened for proficiency in both languages before entrance to classes?

The breach of her anonymity as a basis for dismissal from classes with armed guards in attendance was over the top unless she relinquished her right to speak English prior to the first day of the semester. It isn't stated whether the school tried to approach her privately first for a resolution to the problem of disrupting classes.

The school wasn't teaching the class in Spanish. Students were conversing in Spanish around her. Here is the actual story; not the Beirbart version...

Pima College targeted by ProEnglish group over classroom Spanish

Actually she was in a designated group and no one in the group spoke English. You try being in a study group where no one is willing to speak English, in an English speaking school. Either don't have groups, or only have groups that are willing to speak the same language as the other group members.

 

[Mr. H.]

The medical community will be greatly served by doctors and nurses not being able to speak the same language.

If I recall correctly, the aviation industry has one common required language... English.

Can you imagine the resultant death and destruction if it were otherwise?

 

[candycorn]

Is the school chartered to do bilingual instructions and operating within state guidelines? If so, why aren't students being screened for proficiency in both languages before entrance to classes?

The breach of her anonymity as a basis for dismissal from classes with armed guards in attendance was over the top unless she relinquished her right to speak English prior to the first day of the semester. It isn't stated whether the school tried to approach her privately first for a resolution to the problem of disrupting classes.

The school wasn't teaching the class in Spanish. Students were conversing in Spanish around her. Here is the actual story; not the Beirbart version...

Pima College targeted by ProEnglish group over classroom Spanish

Actually she was in a designated group and no one in the group spoke English. You try being in a study group where no one is willing to speak English, in an English speaking school. Either don't have groups, or only have groups that are willing to speak the same language as the other group members.

If the question is over teaching methods fine;

the incident is being characterized as "The school refused to teach the class in English" which is a lie.

Classes should be taught in English--AS THIS ONE WAS...but consider for a moment that you're trying to get a job and get off of welfare so you go to college to do what everyone wants you to do--stop getting public assistance--but you do not speak English well. So what should you do? Just not go? Or try to learn the best you can?

I would point you, also, to an incident that a friend of mine related. I'm hearing this 2nd hand so don't blame me if there are "holes" in the story but I have no reason to doubt my friend Arlene is telling the truth. She is a military police woman who was in Kuwait for both Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. Her cousin is in ordinance disposal. The manuals her cousin had to read were bi-lingual. A guy in her cousin's class remarked that the taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for bi-lingual manuals as if it's a huge cost. The teacher (a white guy) pointed out to the guy protesting that the paradigm was that you have a well-trained soldier and that if the manual needed to be printed in Swahili to make the student understand it better, it would be.

As an RN, I would like that the person understands her/his job well before I worry about their ability to speak English in class.

 

[Unkotare]

The medical community will be greatly served by doctors and nurses not being able to speak the same language.

The medical community absolutely needs doctors and nurses able to speak the same language (English, if in the US), but that same community - and their patients - is well-served indeed if both doctors and nurses speak more than one language (again, taking English as the base).