Eighth-grade students at Mission Valley Middle School in Prairie Village will not let the firing of a beloved teacher fade quietly away.
A group of about 50 cut classes today and demonstrated outside the school waving homemade signs urging drivers along Mission Road to “honk” their support for Ryan Haraughty, a science teacher who was fired Monday by the Shawnee Mission Board of Education because, he said, of a sexual innuendo uttered in class. The school district said there were more incidents.
Haraughty, who worked for the school district for the last 10 years, said in an interview that the firing stemmed from a recent incident.
Haraughty had drawn a picture of the United States and one of his students noticed that Florida was out of proportion. The student asked Haraughty about the error.
The teacher’s offhand response, which he said Monday he regretted, was: “Florida got excited.”
Today Shawnee Mission official issued a statement suggesting that Haraughty was misleading parents, students and the media by calling attention to one incident.
“The termination of Mr. Haraughty’s contract was not based on one incident,” the statement read. “The decision was based on numerous incidents over an extended period of time.”
District officials said they could not release details of these other incidents.
Some parents believe the problems stems from a personality clash between Haraughty and the principal.
When told about the student demonstration, Haraughty said he wanted them in school.
“I do not want this to impede their education. I love those kids to death,” he said.
Haraughty said he is appealing the board’s decision with the help of the Kansas Chapter of the National Education Association.
The day after the school board voted unanimously to terminate the teacher, an eighth-grade student at the school sent a text message to other students urging them to boycott classes today to protest the board’s action.
Adam Jenkins, a Prairie Village eighth-grader, was one of the organizers.
“I think we can make a difference,” he said. “With all the people who showed up Monday night and what we’re doing today, we believe it will help him get his job back.”
More than 300 parents, students and teachers came to Monday night’s termination hearing to support Haraughty and urge the board to keep him.
Several students at today’s protest said teaching was much more than a job for Haraughty.
“He was one of those teachers who really made a difference,” said Alex Mayfield, an eighth-grade student. “He understood us.”
One student help up a sign that read, “Florida got excited, honk 4 Haraughty.” Many motorists did.
Leigh Anne Neal, a district spokeswoman, said the student demonstrators will be marked as absent without an excuse. School officials notified the students and the parents of the students who demonstrated outside the school rather than attend class will not receive credit for missed work.
To reach Jim Sullinger, call 816-234-7701 or send e-mail to jsullinger@kcstar.com.
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