Pennsylvania student wearing Broncos jersey forced to take test on floor

[Warpath]

FROM REDSKINS.COM:

BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (AP) - A 17-year-old high school student said he was humiliated when a teacher made him sit on the floor during a midterm exam in his ethnicity class - for wearing a Denver Broncos jersey.

The teacher, John Kelly, forced Joshua Vannoy to sit on the floor and take the test Friday - two days before the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Broncos 34-17 in the AFC championship game. Kelly also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy, whom he called a ‘‘stinking Denver fan,’’ Vannoy told The Associated Press on Monday.

Kelly said Vannoy, a junior at Beaver Area Senior High School, just didn’t get the joke.

‘‘If he felt uncomfortable, then that’s a lesson; that’s what (the class) is designed to do,’’ Kelly told The Denver Post. ‘‘It was silly fun. I can’t believe he was upset.’’

Vannoy was wearing a No. 7 Broncos jersey on Friday, because he is a fan of John Elway, the Broncos’ retired Hall of Fame quarterback.

Vannoy said he was so unnerved he left at least 20 questions blank on the 60-question test, and just wants out of Kelly’s class because he’s afraid the teacher won’t treat him fairly now that the story reached the media.

‘‘I’m going to have to deal with him for two more nine weeks (school quarters) and he’s going to want revenge somehow,’’ Vannoy said Monday. ‘‘I took the test. I’m shaking. I’m furious. I didn’t know what to do.’’

Kelly, who wore a Ben Roethlisberger jersey Friday, and his principal, Thomas Karczewski, didn’t immediately return messages left on their school voice mail Monday.

Big Beaver Falls Area School District Superintendent Donna Nugent said she was aware of the situation, but said confidentiality rules prevent her from commenting specifically.

‘‘We’ll take whatever action we need to in order for the student to feel comfortable,’’ Nugent said.

[gusbus]

Why can't people take a joke these days? WOW have we gotten sensitive!!

[skinsfanthru&thru]

I would have beat every one of their asses if someone had done that to me. A teacher is supposed to be better than that and should be fired for publicly degrading a student just because he wore the jersey of an opposing team. That's just pathetic.

[onlydarksets]

Originally Posted by skinsfanthru&thru

I would have beat every one of their asses if someone had done that to me. A teacher is supposed to be better than that and should be fired for publicly degrading a student just because he wore the jersey of an opposing team. That's just pathetic.

Absolutely.

[Gmanc711]

I dont know, you have to be there. I'm sure the kid at the time wasent opposed to it and was playing along. I'd really have to be there before I can judge either one of these guys. I remember stupid shit like this going on all the time wiht me and my teachers and it was cool and funny. For all I know it could have been garbage, but who knows.

[BigSKINBauer]

please i am in high school and if a teacher did that to me i would just laugh. I mean i really might be upset if i had to sit on the floor during a test but i would tell the teacher seriously i wanted to sit in a chair. If he then said no then it is serious and i would then go to a councler or something but there is no teacher that would not let someone sit in a chair if they asked.

last year i was forced to wear a paper bag over my head because the skins lost. Again forced might even be a strong word. The teacher said here you go put this on and put it over my head. I took it off after a minute and he told me that i must be upset(in a joking way) and told me to put my head down on the table. He did this so the class could hear and it was an obvious joke but the SAD THING THERE WAS NO SKIN FAN IN A DC AREA CLASSROOM THAT WOULD STICK UP AND SAY ANYTHING!! I laughed it off but he was a vikings fan and he got his due at the last game.

Like gman said i would have to be there to know exactly what the context was.

[dmek25]

is this what its come to?we cannot continue as a society being this sensitive,a joke is a joke,and he didnt want to play along,he shouldve stopped.what were they going to do to him?sounds like the aclu has to be called(ha ha)

[onlydarksets]

Kelly also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy

This does not require context. Teachers in the public school system simply can't tell their students to throw stuff at another student. I agree that making him sit on the floor and making fun of who he roots for requires context - this could be one of those teachers that has a genuine sense of humor and everyone understands that. But you can't contextually justify throwing stuff at the student.

[MTK]

If the kid wasn't comfortable, he wasn't comfortable. Obviously it wasn't just silly fun to him.

[BrudLee]

"Ethnicity Class?"

[BDBohnzie]

perhaps the teacher should have gone over his "joke" beforehand...so that the student would be a bit more comfortable, since it was an ethics class.

and I'm pretty sure the student didn't have a gun to any other student's head, "making" them throw paper at the professor...

[onlydarksets]

Originally Posted by BDBohnzie

perhaps the teacher should have gone over his "joke" beforehand...so that the student would be a bit more comfortable, since it was an ethics class.

and I'm pretty sure the student didn't have a gun to any other student's head, "making" them throw paper at the professor...

It was an ethnicity class, not an ethics class.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by BDBohnzie

perhaps the teacher should have gone over his "joke" beforehand...so that the student would be a bit more comfortable, since it was an ethics class.

and I'm pretty sure the student didn't have a gun to any other student's head, "making" them throw paper at the professor...

I thought it was an "ethnicity" class. If it was ethics I'm sure the teacher would say this was some sort of lesson about what's right and what's wrong.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

I agree, and maybe we don't know all the facts of what happened, but making one of your students feel ridiculed isn't the best way to get the point across.

[That Guy]

teacher should be fired. That's beyond stupid, and he doesn't even see how that stunt might possibly be taken the wrong way even though he's supposed to teach ethics... moron.