Teacher Reprimanded for UNCF Stance

(Louisville, Kentucky) A former teacher at Stopher Elementary School, Gary Owens, was reprimanded for refusing to serve as a fund-raising director for a United Negro College Fund campaign. As a consequence, he filed a lawsuit.

According to a suit filed by Gary Sanders, he was reprimanded by Stopher Elementary principal Brigitte Owens over questioning public support for a "racially based organization."

The suit also says Mr. Sanders refused a request to serve as a leader in a Fund for the Arts money-raising drive.

The official reprimand says Mr. Owens was punished for failing to respond appropriately to questions regarding whether he would serve as a Fund for the Arts fund drive official. Apparently he replied that he (1) wouldn't answer in public and (2) felt uncomfortable answering with other folks around. Instead, he sent the principal an e-mail.

Assistant Superintendent Carolyn Meredith said he could have answered yes or no, and was being disciplined for "disrespectful behavior."

More than anything else, it appears that the reprimand stems from Owens' belief that the United Negro College Fund is a racially-based organization. It also appears that others within the school system do not believe the United Negro College Fund is racially-based and therein lies the conflict leading to the disciplinary action.

Given the complexities of the legal system, who knows how this case will turn out? Personally, I contend that any organization associated exclusively with one particular race is racially-based and, agreeing with Owens, it shouldn't be promoted on taxpayers dollars.