![]() ![]() The district's attorney argued Tempel did not follow the chain of command by bringing her concerns directly to her supervisor before going to the media, that she engaged students on social media and made statements that sowed disharmony among staff.Īfter news broke, Tempel told reporters she "probably" would not have done anything different, even knowing the outcome. On Wednesday, she told the board that she posted on social media about "the fact that 'Rainbowland' wasn't going to be allowed (because) it was something that the public would be really concerned about, and that they were interested in knowing about it."Īfter a closed-session deliberation, the board unanimously voted for Tempel's termination 9-0 on the grounds that she violated three different school board policies. Officials also took issue with her handling of the incident by taking to social media.īut Tempel said she wanted her students to know they could make a difference, and she was "more talking to the public." The district argued she should have spoken directly with officials and instead caused safety concerns. In early April, Tempel was placed on leave. The administration recommended she be terminated for violating policies. Sebert said that while he does not take issue with Tempel's disagreement, he found the manner in which she expressed that sentiment to be "inappropriate" and "disruptive." "I thought the way in which she disagreed with this decision was in direct violation of multiple board policies," Sebert said at the hearing. ![]() Superintendent James Sebert also testified he received a deluge of inquiries from parents, community members and people outside the district, including threatening messages. Schneider said that after speaking with the elementary school's music teacher, Jared Ziegler, they went through the song list and agreed on the best options for the concert. He testified he and Ziegler discussed the theme of the concert - Earth and making a better world - and went through the song list, approving the song "Rainbow Connection." He also said officials agreed the school would need a large police presence when students returned from spring break. And he said he received "vulgar" messages, saying he would "get what's coming to (him)." Schneider testified he became the target of a flood of voicemail messages, raising concerns about his safety and that of the school community. Heyer Elementary Principal Mark Schneider told the board he never said to "veto" or "ban" the song. She also told WPR the district had not offered any specific reasons for the ban, but "the only common thread between those two songs was the word rainbow."Īt a lengthy hearing on Wednesday, the Waukesha School Board heard from school officials and a representative for Tempel regarding her actions and whether they violated district policy. She told news outlets, including Wisconsin Public Radio, that the Muppets' "Rainbow Connection" was initially banned but later accepted after pushback from parents and the Alliance for Education in Waukesha. Tempel raised her concerns on social media and received national attention. The lyrics were widely believed to focus on acceptance, but district officials said they found the song "could be deemed controversial." In late March, first grade dual-language teacher Melissa Tempel blasted the district after it excluded the song by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton. A first grade teacher in Waukesha who publicly criticized the district over a decision to pull the song "Rainbowland" from a school concert has been fired. ![]()
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