Teachers Matter

Outrage sparked across the country when footage was released earlier this month of a teacher being handcuffed to the floor during a local school board meeting.

Deyshia Hargrave, a teacher in Vermilion Parish in Louisiana was manhandled to the floor by a city marshal after questioning Superintendent Jerome Puyau about a nearly $30,000 raise in salary, going from $110,190 to $140,188.

In the video, viewers can clearly see Hargrave was not hostile in her questioning or actions. Hargrave stood, raised her hand and asked questions about the decision. According to Hargrave, Louisiana teachers have not received a raise in years, and the decision was a “slap in the face to all the teachers, cafeteria workers and any other support staff.”

Base salaries for teachers in Vermilion Parish range from $39,458 to $58,658. The superintendent’s raise accounts for more than 50 percent of most teachers’ salaries.

After voicing her concerns, Hargrave was asked to leave the meeting and was escorted out by a city marshal. However, as she was leaving, the marshal began handcuffing her on the ground. Those in attendance began recording the scenario as Hargrave began screaming.

Those nearby heard the officer say, “Stop resisting,” but as the video clearly shows, Hargrave was in no way resisting. Rather, she was pushed forcefully to the floor after exiting the meeting.

To make matters even worse, Hargrave was actually booked into the nearby Abbeville jail, accused of resisting an officer and remaining after being prohibited. She bonded out quickly, and city attorney and prosecutor Ike Funderburk said no charges will be pursued against her.

Not only did the incident spark a debate about the treatment of educators, but after school board president Tony Fontana called her a “poor little woman,” further debate on gender equality also arose.

Thankfully not all board members agree with Fontana. School board member Laura LeBeouf expressed horror at how Hargrave was treated.

“What happened here tonight––the way that females are treated in Vermilion Parish… I have never seen a man removed from this room,” LeBeouf said during the meeting.

Even after Hargrave’s outcry the proposed raise was approved, boosting the superintendent’s salary by 27 percent. However, after Hargrave’s video went viral the superintendent reported receiving numerous death threats.

There are so many key issues involved in what occurred during the school board meeting. For one, a teacher was asked to silence her First Amendment rights. Hargrave was using her voice to speak out against an injustice being made against both herself and fellow Louisiana educators.

The second issue is the unnecessary proposed raise given to the superintendent. I am not an educator, or involved in the education system, but I definitely don’t think a superintendent can accept a 27 percent raise when the majority of the teachers in his school system are paid less than half his salary. Yet, the same situation occurs in most school systems across the U.S. Hargrave was right. It is a huge slap in the face.

Lastly, no apology has been issued toward Hargrave even after the video went viral. One might think the superintendent would realize the injustice that occurred during the meeting after receiving death threats but apparently not. Instead, the superintendent has told national news sources to leave him, his family and his town alone.

Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world. The lawyers, doctors, politicians and world leaders of today started off as children attending school. Being a teacher is not glamorous. They are surrounded by children day in and day out, but they choose to because they are passionate about instructing the leaders of tomorrow.

Educators do not receive the amount of gratitude they deserve, and attempting to silence their voices is a gross injustice. Their voices are the ones that speak to our future leaders, and they deserve to be heard.

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