NJ teacher to appeal firing for urinating in class

[shawn703]

Source: Newsday

PATERSON, N.J. - (AP) -- A New Jersey second-grade teacher will appeal his firing for insubordination and inappropriate behavior, including urinating in class, his lawyer says.

The Record newspaper (http://bit.ly/Yj144i ) reports Ron Tuitt released a statement in which he denied sending students to flush bottles of his urine. He has taught in Paterson's schools since 1996.

State Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf approved removing Tuitt's tenure protection and firing him on April 18.

The state found the teacher once urinated in a classroom trash can, sometimes urinated in a plastic bottle and asked students to take his waste to the boys' bathroom, and let students sit in his motorized wheelchair.


Read more: http://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/nj-teacher-to-appeal-firing-for-urinating-in-class-1.5166799

[NYC_SKP]

1. Stuck in a wheelchair, without accommodations for his condition.

Stuff like that never makes it into the sensational headline.

He should have gotten a lawyer to get the accommodations he needed.

[mainstreetonce]

2. Wow. How the story can be different than headline

I hope this teacher wins the suit.

[marble falls]

3. My thoughts exactly.

[crim son]

4. I'm going to withhold judgement on this one

until we find out exactly what accommodations were removed.

[Bully Taw]

5. if he required special accommodations

he should have alerted his union if they were not provided. IF, and I say IF, these allegations are true. IF he really peed in a trash can and IF he gave bottle of urine to 2nd graders to discard, then he should be fired swiftly and without a second thought.

I can appreciate the fact that this gentleman may need special accommodations, but that does not excuse his actions IF the allegations are true.

[NYC Liberal]

6. Nonetheless, he still shouldn't have had students bringing the bottles of urine to the bathroom.

[cstanleytech]

7. "without accommodations " Thats not whats claimed in the 2nd link.

In fact the teacher himself stated and I quote

“As my mobility became impaired, school administrators made certain allowances or accommodations, including allowing students and custodial staff members to provide me with assistance in getting around the school. Examples included but were not limited to parking my van, bringing me my wheelchair, picking up my mail, and more.’’

So it looks like they were making or trying to make some accommodations for him by his own admission though I do wonder if they had also moved him to a classroom closer to the bathroom because you would think that would be of huge help as well if it was done.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Doesn't matter how close the restroom is.

Can't leave kids unattended. So if the restroom is right next door and no one is asked to cover the class so the teacher can use it, then proximity doesn't really matter.

But I'm hoping it's not true that he asked kids to dispose of his urine. That's impossible to defend.

[cstanleytech]

12. Mmm we shall just have to wait and see though. nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. In my experience, school admins are notorious for this kind of crap

I know several teachers with disabilities who have filed ADA lawsuits. One was in a wheelchair and was assigned to a building without an elevator. Another was denied FMLA leave for chemo.

[cstanleytech]

13. That mention you made of the teacher with the wheelchair made me

curious enough to check the law out of that.

http://www.ada.gov/pubs/mythfct.txt

MYTH: The ADA requires extensive renovation of all state and
local government buildings to make them accessible.

FACT: The ADA requires all government _programs_, not all
government _buildings_, to be accessible. "Program
accessibility" is a very flexible requirement and does not
require a local government to do anything that would result in an
undue financial or administrative burden. Local governments have
been subject to this requirement for many years under the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Not every building, nor each part of
every building needs to be accessible. Structural modifications
are required only when there is no alternative available for
providing program access. Let's say a town library has an
inaccessible second floor. No elevator is needed if it provides
"program accessibility" for persons using wheelchairs by having
staff retrieve books.

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Well the fire code is stricter than ADA

You need to be able to vacate buildings.

[Nye Bevan]

10. He should have saved his urine bottles until class was over

then disposed of them himself. His bodily functions should not involve his students.

[obama2terms]

11. I would like to know more about the accommodations taken from him

But you don't send 7-8 year old boys to the bathroom to get rid of your waste, that's just weird and plain GROSS!