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April 12, 2002/Nisan 30, 5762, Vol. 54, No. 30
Gilbert English teacher alleges discrimination
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
A Gilbert English teacher is questioning whether her method of teaching students about the Holocaust has resulted in her contract not being renewed.
On April 4, the Gilbert School District's Governing Board voted not to renew the contract of Michelle Moore, 58, an eighth-grade teacher at Highland Junior High School, for the upcoming 2002-2003 school year.
Amidst the district's allegations of poor interpersonal skills, nearly 200 students and parents attended the board meeting in support of Moore.
Michele Passaro - whose daughter is in one of Moore's English classes - is one of several parents who spoke to the board.
"She is a fabulous teacher," said Passaro. "We wouldn't be there supporting her if this was not the case."
Moore, who is Jewish, said she was given an outstanding review from Highland Principal George Bowers in November. Subsequently, she was called in for another review on April 2, at which time she was told that Bowers was recommending her contract not be renewed due to her poor interpersonal skills with students, faculty and parents.
Moore said she was puzzled by the decision.
"Between the time I got that evaluation in November - that said I was really good at what I did and that I had good interrelations with faculty, students and parents - the only thing that happened was the Holocaust (unit)."
Holocaust literature and history are part of the eighth-grade English and social studies curriculum in Gilbert. Moore said that she and another English teacher shared the same assignments and projects in the study of the Holocaust.
"The only difference was I could bring in a different perspective being Jewish," said Moore. "I explained Judaism to (the students). I explained the holidays. I explained what Jews believe. ... I explained everything I could in a secular way. The kids would ask religious questions and I would back off. I would talk about how people were affected."
Passaro, who's Catholic, believes the students benefited from Moore's knowledge.
"What better person to teach this than a person whose relatives lived through this horrific time?" she said.
Moore also arranged for two speakers - Holocaust survivors from the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. - to come speak to the eighth-grade students. While Moore planned for an assembly lasting three class periods, the administration told her she could only use one class period for the presentation because other teachers did not want to lose instructional time.
Moore said she was surprised because not only had the speakers traveled across the country to speak, but also previous assemblies - for a faculty basketball game and a school band concert - had been held for several class periods during the school day.
Denise Lowell-Britt, attorney for the Gilbert School District, said that although the district cannot discuss the specifics of Moore's situation, the allegations that the non-renewal has anything to do with the curriculum are unfounded.
"There's (no) merit to the contention this was based on unlawful discrimination of any kind," Lowell-Britt said. "It wasn't related to her choice of curriculum or the Holocaust speakers."
On April 5, eighth-grade students wearing blue and white ribbons staged a protest during lunch. Moore said that while students stood together in the courtyard of the school, the administration turned on the sprinkler system, but the students stood firm.
Moore's attorney, William Hobson, is in the process of filing a civil lawsuit against the district because, he alleges, the district did not provide Moore with the required 90-day notice before not renewing her contract. He also plans to file complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
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