PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. – Students in Prairie Village say they won’t give up the fight to have a popular teacher reinstated.
Students at Mission Valley Middle School protested outside the school all day on Wednesday.
They are upset about the Shawnee Mission School Board's decision to fire 8
th grade science teacher Ryan Haraughty.
The board fired him for repeatedly using sexual innuendo in the classroom, creating a hostile sexual environment and insubordination.
Students say he used humor to related to them but add that he was not inappropriate.
"I think sometimes he might just break the ice with some of the students. But I don't think it was out of line really,” says Corrie Buchanan.
Even students who were not in Haraughty’s class participated in the protest.
“I decided to protest because he was my older sister’s favorite teacher. I was really looking forward to having him in 8th grade. And when I found out he was fired I was kind of crushed,” says Lizy Roussos.
Haraughty says his comments are being blown out of proportion.
“I'm a human being. I'm flawed. But I'm a good teacher,” he says.
He plans to appeal the school boards decision.
In a statement the school district writes, "The termination of Mr. Haraughty's contract was not based on one incident. The decision was based on numerous incidents over an extended period of time.”
The students plan to protest again Thursday. They set up a
Facebook page in support of Haraughty.
Students who miss class will have an unexcused absence. That means they will not get credit for any work they missed while protesting.
