Speaking a s resident of the other Vancouver, please don't carpet-bomb Canada. We are mostly nice and even our politicians are not too radicalized. Thank you. And sorry for interrupting.
“ Had Dodge worn a “Jews Will Not Replace Us” hat, the result would have been different.”
So this incident took place before “MAGA” was understood to be a shorthand for that?
I only slightly kid. Wearing apparel from a campaign whose entire movement is based on cultural INsensitivity to a cultural sensitivity seminar feels like it deserves discipline, if not quite the level of meltdown recounted here.
Of course, I recognize that my feelings are not the law, and even that that’s a good thing. Usually.
I feel like Mr Dodge could have written an "Am I The Asshole" for prominently displaying the hat on the 2nd day and few, if any, people would have said he's not an asshole.
Wow. Every agency I have worked for has had a policy of no political apparel in the workplace. It’s not just a ban on MAGA hats, but also a ban on BERNIE hats. The point for me is there is no reason to needlessly upset the public, just be neutral and try not to offend. I think this is a really slippery slope and it is best to say ‘not in the workplace’.
Very informative piece and I love the use of "normal" to describe folks who don't clutch their pearls when someone espouses a political philosophy that differs from their own.
If Dodge had worn the hat while teaching his sixth grade class and been reprimanded similarly, would that would make his behavior part of carrying out his job duties, as opposed to private speech?
If so, would it then be unprotected? And would it matter if the principal were clearly discriminating according to the content of that speech? (E.g., reprimanding Dodge for wearing a MAGA hat but permitting other teachers to wear apparel in class that supports Democrats.)
I think the teacher might have missed a teachable moment. "Mr Dodge has chosen to be a dick today by bringing his MAGA hat to class, knowing full well it will piss many of you off. I encourage you to talk with him about this on the break, and let him know that while we don't enjoy his being a dick, we will all join together in defending his right to express his dickishness freely."
With respect to university professors, I know a public university professor was was chastised and belittled by the university president for taking a position (based on her area of expertise and scholarship) in a legislative committee hearing that was contrary to the state’s position. The issue was higher education. What if she said the same thing in class? What if her research would indicate the university president is misinformed, or let’s just say stupid.
I have never taken a law class because my college Guidance Counselor said that although I "may" have the intelligence to be a lawyer, I did not have the appropriate attention to follow lines of discussion or written word.
Alas, I went into the financial services field were there was greater "lesser concerns for concepts" and I did quite well professionally and financially!
I appreciate your willingness to enlighten we non-legal types. It is a scary world!
"Here, Dodge’s wearing a MAGA hat wasn’t part of his job — it was purely private speech. So it was potentially protected."
If he was, say, distributing such hats (or condoms), would that be treated differently? Put a stack of them on his table with a sign that says "take one." But not say or do anything more.
Black Lives indeed do Matter! is a very mainstream political sentiment. If I were to have that on the back of my leather jacket, and folded it so that it showed, putting in on the table in front of the adamant trumper, it would be a bit provocative. Remember, he didn't just wear the hat, he purposely sat it on the table for people to see. It sounds very much like a challenge to the subject of the mandatory session-cultural sensitivity.
Probably the school district didn't think through its policy well in advance. In order to be productive, such a session has to ramp down partisan political framing, and they should have put some policies about partisan political statements/expression within the session in place in advance.
The principal hadn't properly done that and probably tried to retroactively do something, and did it badly. I'm expecting that if anyone described the MAGA hat guy as an asshole it wouldn't be defamatory, and also not grossly inaccurate. One may have a first amendment right to be an asshole, but it doesn't help in a cultural sensitivity workshop.
“the polite fiction that law enforcement officers are not racist”
Daaaaaaamn son
Speaking a s resident of the other Vancouver, please don't carpet-bomb Canada. We are mostly nice and even our politicians are not too radicalized. Thank you. And sorry for interrupting.
“ Had Dodge worn a “Jews Will Not Replace Us” hat, the result would have been different.”
So this incident took place before “MAGA” was understood to be a shorthand for that?
I only slightly kid. Wearing apparel from a campaign whose entire movement is based on cultural INsensitivity to a cultural sensitivity seminar feels like it deserves discipline, if not quite the level of meltdown recounted here.
Of course, I recognize that my feelings are not the law, and even that that’s a good thing. Usually.
I feel like Mr Dodge could have written an "Am I The Asshole" for prominently displaying the hat on the 2nd day and few, if any, people would have said he's not an asshole.
Wow. Every agency I have worked for has had a policy of no political apparel in the workplace. It’s not just a ban on MAGA hats, but also a ban on BERNIE hats. The point for me is there is no reason to needlessly upset the public, just be neutral and try not to offend. I think this is a really slippery slope and it is best to say ‘not in the workplace’.
Very informative piece and I love the use of "normal" to describe folks who don't clutch their pearls when someone espouses a political philosophy that differs from their own.
Kinda makes me wonder how he treats students that aren't white males.
Thank you for explaining this.
If Dodge had worn the hat while teaching his sixth grade class and been reprimanded similarly, would that would make his behavior part of carrying out his job duties, as opposed to private speech?
If so, would it then be unprotected? And would it matter if the principal were clearly discriminating according to the content of that speech? (E.g., reprimanding Dodge for wearing a MAGA hat but permitting other teachers to wear apparel in class that supports Democrats.)
As a “further restricted” employee under the Hatch Act I struggle to find my normal level of sympathy but for the one employee cried thing.
Though I tend to wonder if the summation of evidence omitted relevant information because we know such details always are included in the briefs 🤓
By any chance, was Mr. Dodge the reason they were in the mandatory cultural sensitivity training? 🤫
I think the teacher might have missed a teachable moment. "Mr Dodge has chosen to be a dick today by bringing his MAGA hat to class, knowing full well it will piss many of you off. I encourage you to talk with him about this on the break, and let him know that while we don't enjoy his being a dick, we will all join together in defending his right to express his dickishness freely."
With respect to university professors, I know a public university professor was was chastised and belittled by the university president for taking a position (based on her area of expertise and scholarship) in a legislative committee hearing that was contrary to the state’s position. The issue was higher education. What if she said the same thing in class? What if her research would indicate the university president is misinformed, or let’s just say stupid.
Or he could have just not worn the hat, you know?
Common sense doesn't apply to some of those people.
I think he knew what he was doing-baiting the bear and hoping it would bite.
Ken,
I have never taken a law class because my college Guidance Counselor said that although I "may" have the intelligence to be a lawyer, I did not have the appropriate attention to follow lines of discussion or written word.
Alas, I went into the financial services field were there was greater "lesser concerns for concepts" and I did quite well professionally and financially!
I appreciate your willingness to enlighten we non-legal types. It is a scary world!
"Here, Dodge’s wearing a MAGA hat wasn’t part of his job — it was purely private speech. So it was potentially protected."
If he was, say, distributing such hats (or condoms), would that be treated differently? Put a stack of them on his table with a sign that says "take one." But not say or do anything more.
Black Lives indeed do Matter! is a very mainstream political sentiment. If I were to have that on the back of my leather jacket, and folded it so that it showed, putting in on the table in front of the adamant trumper, it would be a bit provocative. Remember, he didn't just wear the hat, he purposely sat it on the table for people to see. It sounds very much like a challenge to the subject of the mandatory session-cultural sensitivity.
Probably the school district didn't think through its policy well in advance. In order to be productive, such a session has to ramp down partisan political framing, and they should have put some policies about partisan political statements/expression within the session in place in advance.
The principal hadn't properly done that and probably tried to retroactively do something, and did it badly. I'm expecting that if anyone described the MAGA hat guy as an asshole it wouldn't be defamatory, and also not grossly inaccurate. One may have a first amendment right to be an asshole, but it doesn't help in a cultural sensitivity workshop.