Retiree on school board demands rank be used

[unhappycamper]

Retiree on school board demands rank be used
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jan 27, 2009 5:50:24 EST

A retired Reserve captain is threatening to sue her local California school board if the board’s members do not address her by her military title.

Retired Reserve Capt. Noreen Considine, 64, was elected to the Jurupa Unified School Board near Riverside, Calif., in November. She claims her political foes are deliberately disrespecting her by not using her rank when discussing school business.

“It’s a way to diminish me. If they take away my title — the one I ran on and the one I’m entitled to — then they have a better shot at demonizing me,” Considine said in an interview.

At a Jan. 20 meeting, Considine told the school board they were harming her reputation, violating her civil rights and may be liable under California state laws.

“None should doubt my resolve in this matter,” Considine told the crowd, according to the minutes of the meeting.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/01/navy_captain_lawsuit_012609w/%2e

[hobbit709]

1. What does Capt.-USN(Ret) have to do with school board business?

[sarge43]

3. Nothing

If she wants to be addressed by her grade, she should go back on AD.

[Owl]

4. Agreed. Nothing.

[Jim Lane]

2. Why would they try "demonizing" her when she's doing it so well herself?

If I were on that board, I'd probably call her "Captain" if asked politely, but at the threat of a lawsuit I'd change pretty quickly.

[cloudbase]

5. Too much time spent watching

Are You Being Served?

[MineralMan]

6. That's just silly...they should call her Kapitan..

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. There is nothing there to back her up.

Rank is optional from civilians, even if she was in uniform.

I keep wondering when disrespecting became a word...

[TahitiNut]

8. Since when is Emily Post statutory??

While it's customary, as a matter of etiquette, to address retired officers of flag-rank by their commissioned ranks in formal social settings, there's nothing that I know of that makes it a matter of law or a basis for a tort.

She's too full of herself.

[sarge43]

9. Certainly no legal requirement for civilians under any condition

Good manners when addressing retired flags and active duty types when known, but that's all.

She better be careful or she'll suffer a herniated ego.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. Her legal arguments are interesting if not a little twisted. Can't find a picture

http://www.popehat.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/thats-captain-considine-to-you-sir.pdf