Edgewood Teacher Resigns Over Bar "Field Trip"

[Marine Mike]

http://wkrc.img.cdn.dayport.com/img/...1879874969.jpg

A Butler County teacher has resigned after she admitted to taking a group of four female students to a gay bar in Dayton. Lori Epperson worked for Butler Tech and taught Marketing at Edgewood High School.

She took the girls, who are all seniors, to Club Mask in Dayton. Club Mask is 18 and over alternative lifestyle club featuring drag shows, where men dress up as woman and perform. Three of the girls are 18, one is 17. Parents who spoke with Local 12 are outraged over the incident.

Stevie Moon-Mom, "She's a teacher, they're her students. They're not her friends. She's there to teach them, not to take them to clubs and party. That's ridiculous."

Jeremy Moon-Edgewood Parent, "There's a level of professionalism that needs to be kept between the students and the teachers and she crossed that line, I think. I don't think that she may be wrong, I definitely think she is wrong."

Epperson apparently received permission from the parents of the girls to take them to the club. But officials want to know why the 17 year old was allowed in and how the girls got alcohol, which they allegedly drank.

Butler Tech may take legal action against club for serving alcohol to minors. Dayton police have also been notified.

Edgewood has zero tolerance policy for athletes and extracurricular activities when it comes to alcohol consumption so the four girls were not allowed to attend a cheerleading competition in Florida after details of the trip came to light.

Talk about a good idea for a field trip!

[assydingo]

I'd go for the lulz.

[jkwest]

silly teachers...

at least she didn't try sleeping with them...that coulda happened..

[Uniquely]

From an insider's propsective... I'm going to take an educated guess and say that the teachers and the students were all gay. It is very difficult for young gay people to meet peers, and often "the gay bar" is the only place in town to not only meet peers... but to be comfortable and safe in being "yourself."

I think the teacher's heart was definitely in the right place in trying to show the young people that they are not alone and there is a whole community of people who will accept them. She even got the parent's permission before hand.

It is however unfortunate that alcohol came into the picture. She should have done a better job of supervising the young people; even though she may not have directly provided the alcohol.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

From an insider's propsective... I'm going to take an educated guess and say that the teachers and the students were all gay. It is very difficult for young gay people to meet peers, and often "the gay bar" is the only place in town to not only meet peers... but to be comfortable and safe in being "yourself."

I think the teacher's heart was definitely in the right place in trying to show the young people that they are not alone and there is a whole community of people who will accept them. She even got the parent's permission before hand.

It is however unfortunate that alcohol came into the picture. She should have done a better job of supervising the young people; even though she may not have directly provided the alcohol.

...allegedly. Still, the 17 year-old should never have gone in and obviously they should've been supervised better in keeping them from alcohol (again, allegedly).

[fighthefutureofhd]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

From an insider's propsective... I'm going to take an educated guess and say that the teachers and the students were all gay. It is very difficult for young gay people to meet peers, and often "the gay bar" is the only place in town to not only meet peers... but to be comfortable and safe in being "yourself."

I think the teacher's heart was definitely in the right place in trying to show the young people that they are not alone and there is a whole community of people who will accept them. She even got the parent's permission before hand.

It is however unfortunate that alcohol came into the picture. She should have done a better job of supervising the young people; even though she may not have directly provided the alcohol.

she shouldn't have taken them in the first place. with permission or not. the teacher has no right or reason to take these students to a gay bar. i'm with the school and the parents. i'd be outraged if it were my kids. i can't even believe the bar lets those kids in. oh well. i'm glad the school is doing something about this.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by fighthefutureofhd

she shouldn't have taken them in the first place. with permission or not. the teacher has no right or reason to take these students to a gay bar. i'm with the school and the parents. i'd be outraged if it were my kids. i can't even believe the bar lets those kids in. oh well. i'm glad the school is doing something about this.

From the story:

She took the girls, who are all seniors, to Club Mask in Dayton. Club Mask is 18 and over alternative lifestyle club featuring drag shows, where men dress up as woman and perform. Three of the girls are 18, one is 17.

18 and over bar. Most of the kids were over 18. They should be allowed in. If the kids had permission from the parents, I can see it not being a big deal. It's still an iffy separation between being a teacher and being a mentor. I personally wouldn't allow my wife (who's a teacher) to put herself in that kind of situation- I would fear for her job and career.

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by aramis109

18 and over bar. Most of the kids were over 18. They should be allowed in. If the kids had permission from the parents, I can see it not being a big deal. It's still an iffy separation between being a teacher and being a mentor. I personally wouldn't allow my wife (who's a teacher) to put herself in that kind of situation- I would fear for her job and career.

I agree with you that in principal that the kids should be allowed to visit the bar -- the ones who were of proper age anyway.

I do not believe that it's the teacher's right or in the interest of anyone involved for the teacher to take the students to the bar. It is not a teacher's place to do that. Friends go with friends to bars; friends don't go with teachers to bars.

Students should look up to their teachers for guidance. Teachers shouldn't encourage bar visits, regardless of age. The fact that the teacher not only encouraged the bar field trip, but headed/chaperoned it is pretty appalling to me.

[fighthefutureofhd]

me too and it doesn't set a very good example. just because the bar was 18 and over doesn't mean they should've let these girls in. most of them may be 18, but that doesn't make it right. what if the teacher had taken these kids to a adult bookstore instead. legally, most of these kids are allowed to go in, but it's not the proper thing to do. the bar really should thought it through more, as should the teacher.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by fighthefutureofhd

me too and it doesn't set a very good example. just because the bar was 18 and over doesn't mean they should've let these girls in. most of them may be 18, but that doesn't make it right. what if the teacher had taken these kids to a adult bookstore instead. legally, most of these kids are allowed to go in, but it's not the proper thing to do. the bar really should thought it through more, as should the teacher.

So, just to be clear, even though legally (most of) these kids can go in, you say that the bar should deny them service? Is this because of the content, or because there's a teacher with them? What's "proper"? I'm just trying to understand your viewpoint, because what you're saying doesn't make any sense to me.

They're legally adults and in many states are allowed to enter establishments that serve alcohol.

If the kids and the teacher had the ok from the parents, I personally don't have an issue with it. I also sure as hell wouldn't do it or let a friend do it as it's career seppuku- you're done as a teacher with this kind of black mark.

Originally Posted by brettallica

Students should look up to their teachers for guidance. Teachers shouldn't encourage bar visits, regardless of age. The fact that the teacher not only encouraged the bar field trip, but headed/chaperoned it is pretty appalling to me.

What about the bar visit was wrong? It's legal for them to go in. Or is it that you have an issue with the content to be found in the bar?

To be clear, we're really second-guessing what occurred here. Was the teacher trying to help show gay kids that there was somewhere they could be free to express themselves and fit in? Or was she a predator that was trying to lure them in for her own personal sexual reasons?

There's a lot of supposition here from folks on both sides. It's hard to say, but if she was trying to be a mentor to some kids that were struggling to find their own identity with being gay, then in my opinion she was doing no wrong. (Again, it's career suicide to get caught at it.) If she was trying to be a sexual predator, then she should be in deep sh!t.

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by fighthefutureofhd

she shouldn't have taken them in the first place. with permission or not. the teacher has no right or reason to take these students to a gay bar. i'm with the school and the parents. i'd be outraged if it were my kids. i can't even believe the bar lets those kids in. oh well. i'm glad the school is doing something about this.

I think that it is safe to assume that since she took a group AND asked parent's permission beforehand, that her intentions were not nefarious at all.

I can definitely emphathize with her desire to help those kids. The fact of the matter is that if kids bully another kid about race, or religion or other things... the schools will pay attention; but kids can often times bully other kids about orientation or even just "perceived" orientation all they want without fear of repurcussion from school officials. Hundreds of young gay kids commit suicide every single year because of the bullying they receive and the feeling of isolation that bullying causes them. Just three days ago CNN aired a story about an 11 yr old boy who hung himself because he could no longer take the bullying about his PERCEIVED orientation. His mother had complained to school officials about it repeatedly.... and it never stopped. Sadly... that is NOT an isolated incident.

Not many cities have gay community centers for the youth.... and the gay bar is often the only place where young people can go and truly see with their own eyes that they are not alone. That knowledge won't stop the bullying that they endure..... but it can end the feeling of isolation and desperation that can lead to suicide, drug and alcohol problems, and a host of other problems.

I applaud the efforts of the teacher. It is sad that it didn't turn out better.

[Ferris]

The issue here is not that these kids were taken to a gay bar... it's that they were taken to A BAR! If 18-year-olds & 17-year-olds want to go to a bar, they go to a bar (I don't think they should be going to a bar at all, but whatever). A teacher should NEVER take students from his/her school to a bar. That's just incredibly irresponsbile.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by Ferris

The issue here is not that these kids were taken to a gay bar... it's that they were taken to A BAR! If 18-year-olds & 17-year-olds want to go to a bar, they go to a bar (I don't think they should be going to a bar at all, but whatever). A teacher should NEVER take students from his/her school to a bar. That's just incredibly irresponsbile.

LOL, what? It's not like the teacher signed them up for a field trip and they all left school for it. They probably all met there with the teacher as the "chaperone". Legally they could've walked in there by themselves. Are none of you aware that there are states that allow 18 year olds to enter bars?

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by Ferris

The issue here is not that these kids were taken to a gay bar... it's that they were taken to A BAR! If 18-year-olds & 17-year-olds want to go to a bar, they go to a bar (I don't think they should be going to a bar at all, but whatever). A teacher should NEVER take students from his/her school to a bar. That's just incredibly irresponsbile.

Exactly. I respect what robinandtami is saying, but yeah, this isn't about sexual orientation as far as I can tell. It's more about the teacher taking her students to a bar, and the irresponsible implications that go along with that.

I will say despite all this and that, the teacher did get the permission of the parents, so in that sense it is "OK" in that she didn't violate the trust of those specific parents.

But I think a large majority of people will feel that it's simply not proper in the inherent fiduciary/guardian responsibility of a teacher to take her students to a bar. That's all I'm sayin'...

[fighthefutureofhd]

Originally Posted by aramis109

So, just to be clear, even though legally (most of) these kids can go in, you say that the bar should deny them service? Is this because of the content, or because there's a teacher with them? What's "proper"? I'm just trying to understand your viewpoint, because what you're saying doesn't make any sense to me.

brettillica said it best. it's just not the proper thing for a teacher to do. whether they have permission or not. also it is because the teacher is with them and the fact that these are still high school kids. that's just not something high school kids should be doing.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by fighthefutureofhd

brettillica said it best. it's just not the proper thing for a teacher to do. whether they have permission or not. also it is because the teacher is with them and the fact that these are still high school kids. that's just not something high school kids should be doing.

So high school kids shouldn't be going to bars? The law says otherwise in this case. Additionally, propriety differs from each person. I can imagine multiple scenarios (such as the one that robin painted) where I see this as being proper, and a way to show kids that they are not alone. We want teachers to have an active part in students' lives, and maybe this was an extreme case where she saw it as a viable option.

I just think that some folks are so quick to pass judgement, that this teacher never had a chance. Again, it's why I sure as hell wouldn't do it if I was in the same boat. It's guaranteed that she was told to resign or be fired.

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by aramis109

So high school kids shouldn't be going to bars? The law says otherwise in this case. Additionally, propriety differs from each person. I can imagine multiple scenarios (such as the one that robin painted) where I see this as being proper, and a way to show kids that they are not alone. We want teachers to have an active part in students' lives, and maybe this was an extreme case where she saw it as a viable option.

I just think that some folks are so quick to pass judgement, that this teacher never had a chance. Again, it's why I sure as hell wouldn't do it if I was in the same boat. It's guaranteed that she was told to resign or be fired.

High school kids (as long as they're 18) can go to bars in this case, as the law allows it in that city/county/state/whatever. That is definitely not the question. Should a teacher take their students to bars? That is the question. My answer is: no, they shouldn't.

...and let it be known that I'm not passing judgment toward anyone. I disagree with what the teacher did. I'm sure she's a fine, upstanding citizen, as I have no reason to believe otherwise. I just wouldn't have made that same choice if I were her.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by brettallica

High school kids (as long as they're 18) can go to bars in this case, as the law allows it in that city/county/state/whatever. That is definitely not the question. Should a teacher take their students to bars? That is the question. My answer is: no, they shouldn't.

...and let it be known that I'm not passing judgment toward anyone. I disagree with what the teacher did. I'm sure she's a fine, upstanding citizen, as I have no reason to believe otherwise. I just wouldn't have made that same choice if I were her.

Oh, I wouldn't have either, but for different reasons. She's doomed in that state to teach.

To me, it depends on what was the nature of the trip- was it to go out and have fun, or was it to go out and see that there is another culture out there, that there are other options for gay people? If it was just to party, then yeah I take umbrage with it as well. She's not there to be their BFF, she's there to be a teacher and mentor. If it was the latter, then I don't have a problem with it personally.

I assume that more will come out as time goes on but to me that's the crux of the issue- lack of information.

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by aramis109

So, just to be clear, even though legally (most of) these kids can go in, you say that the bar should deny them service? Is this because of the content, or because there's a teacher with them? What's "proper"? I'm just trying to understand your viewpoint, because what you're saying doesn't make any sense to me.

No one is saying that. They are legally entitled to enter the bar and do bar-esque things. More power to them.

Originally Posted by aramis109

What about the bar visit was wrong? It's legal for them to go in. Or is it that you have an issue with the content to be found in the bar?

I have no qualms with the content of the bar, because I don't know the content of the bar. I have a problem with a teacher taking students to a bar. I don't mean this teacher specifically, I mean all teachers.

I don't want to come across as a jerk or anything, but if that requires any sort of deep theory discussion beyond the simple fact that "teachers shouldn't take students to a bar" then there is no amount of debate that will ever get you to see that. Know what I mean? I'm know you're a smart guy and probably have a good amount of logic in that ol' cabeza of yours.

I think we're (meaning the people who don't like that the students were taken to the bar by the teacher) just saying that it's inappropriate for a teacher to take a student to a bar. Plain and simple.

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by aramis109

Oh, I wouldn't have either, but for different reasons. She's doomed in that state to teach.

To me, it depends on what was the nature of the trip- was it to go out and have fun, or was it to go out and see that there is another culture out there, that there are other options for gay people? If it was just to party, then yeah I take umbrage with it as well. She's not there to be their BFF, she's there to be a teacher and mentor. If it was the latter, then I don't have a problem with it personally.

I assume that more will come out as time goes on but to me that's the crux of the issue- lack of information.

Yes, all good points. I'm sure there's a ton of detail that's missing with this. I have no problem with a teacher exposing their students to other lifestyles (or even ones that may particularly pertain to them), but surely there could have been a better choice than a bar. Then again, though, we're getting back to the supposition thing. I don't think we really know why the teach took the students to the bar.