Tuesday, July 8, 2014

How Is This Tweet Harassment?

The Daily News:

Two city parents who signed onto a suit to end teacher tenure in New York State say they’re being harassed by an educator who backs the protection.

Mona Davids and Sam Pirozzolo of the New York City Parents Union say they were targeted by teacher Francesco Portelos in a Sunday tweet.

“U need your protection removed so if you see a disservice to little Franklin P or Eric D u look away,” tweeted Portelos, referring to to Davids’ son Eric, 6, and Pirozzolo’s son Franklin, 11. “Teachers need to be protected so they can speak up for any disservice to students,” said Portelos.

I dunno, when you're dealing in 140 character messages, there's always a chance for miscommunication, but I read that tweet as, "Gee Mona and Sam, wouldn't you want your children's teachers to feel protected enough in their jobs to be able to speak up for them?"

Now Mona Davids and Sam Pirozzolo may or may not agree with that sentiment, but surely we can all agree that the tweet wasn't either or harassment or threatening to them, can't we?

Portelos put the whole thing in perspective in a comment on the News story:

The reality is that I blew up their lawsuit here on my blog. " Dissecting the Pirozzolo vs State of NY Teacher Tenure Lawsuit http://protectportelos.org/dissecting-the-pirozzolo-vs-state-of-ny-teacher-tenure-lawsuit/

 (Oh and so there are no more misunderstandings, I don't mean "blew up" literally as in threatening with explosives. I mean figuratively blew up.)

Sometimes when people make a living playing "victim," they go too far in their professional roles.

This, it seems to me, is one of those times.

2 comments:

  1. Can't make this up! In 2011 Anti-Tenure @NYCParentsUnion @spirozzolo posted "We Love Our Teachers" http://ow.ly/yVjam

    When I say Flip...you say Flop.

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    Replies
    1. I guess he could argue he changed positions, which is fair, but I haven't heard the rationale for why he changed. Smacks of politics and opportunism is all.

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