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| Teacher returns to school after student's unlawful cucumber condom lesson | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Starkville high school teacher has been cleared to return to the classroom after being suspended over a student’s vegetable-based presentation for how to properly put on a condom. | A Starkville high school teacher has been cleared to return to the classroom after being suspended over a student’s vegetable-based presentation for how to properly put on a condom. |
| The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District released a statement on Friday saying the teacher, Sheree Ferguson, could return to work. | The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District released a statement on Friday saying the teacher, Sheree Ferguson, could return to work. |
| The statement said administrators had investigated the incident, and Ferguson would face “appropriate disciplinary action”. However, it did not say what that was or when she would return. | The statement said administrators had investigated the incident, and Ferguson would face “appropriate disciplinary action”. However, it did not say what that was or when she would return. |
| The district suspended Ferguson after a student in her English class on 12 November made a career presentation about becoming a sexologist and used a cucumber to demonstrate condom use. | The district suspended Ferguson after a student in her English class on 12 November made a career presentation about becoming a sexologist and used a cucumber to demonstrate condom use. |
| State law prohibits any kind of demonstration of condom use during sex-education classes. In many districts, the classes teach abstinence only. | State law prohibits any kind of demonstration of condom use during sex-education classes. In many districts, the classes teach abstinence only. |
| “While the condom demonstration that occurred during the presentation is a violation of Mississippi law and school board policy, the resulting personnel issues [go] beyond that scope to include how the employee involved responded during an inquiry regarding the presentation,” the school district’s statement said. | “While the condom demonstration that occurred during the presentation is a violation of Mississippi law and school board policy, the resulting personnel issues [go] beyond that scope to include how the employee involved responded during an inquiry regarding the presentation,” the school district’s statement said. |
| The announcement about Ferguson’s return to work was made after more than three dozen people marched outside Starkville High School on Friday morning to support her. | The announcement about Ferguson’s return to work was made after more than three dozen people marched outside Starkville High School on Friday morning to support her. |
| “You’ve got a bunch of really bright kids in there and they’re passionate about their teacher,” Roben Dawkins, the father of one of Ferguson’s students, told The Clarion-Ledger. “It’s their opinion it wasn’t the teachers fault, but she’s the one having to take responsibility for it in the long run.” | “You’ve got a bunch of really bright kids in there and they’re passionate about their teacher,” Roben Dawkins, the father of one of Ferguson’s students, told The Clarion-Ledger. “It’s their opinion it wasn’t the teachers fault, but she’s the one having to take responsibility for it in the long run.” |
| Camryn Dawkins, a Starkville High junior, told the Commercial Dispatch that she came up with the idea to protest Ferguson’s suspension and worked with senior Tyrese Kelly to get word out to students. | Camryn Dawkins, a Starkville High junior, told the Commercial Dispatch that she came up with the idea to protest Ferguson’s suspension and worked with senior Tyrese Kelly to get word out to students. |
| “I was in the class when it happened and I just felt that what was done was perfectly OK, and that’s my judgment,” Dawson said. | “I was in the class when it happened and I just felt that what was done was perfectly OK, and that’s my judgment,” Dawson said. |
| “I love Ms Ferg to death. Ms Ferg is the best English teacher I’ve ever had and we just wanted to take a stand as students for what we believe in.” | “I love Ms Ferg to death. Ms Ferg is the best English teacher I’ve ever had and we just wanted to take a stand as students for what we believe in.” |