Blowing the Whistle

My last post was about the last in a series of charges against me. This post will show where it all began.

May 3, 2006

Mr. Haden Sands, Confidential Investigator
Chancellor’s Office of Special Investigations
49 Chambers Stree, 6th floor
New York, NY 10007

Dear Mr.Sands,

My name is Moriah Untamed, and I am a teacher at Intermediate School 666 in My Neighborhood, Queens. I am writing to you on behalf of my colleague, Mrs. Adila Hassan.

My colleague has been made the object of an investigation because of an incident which took place on March 15 at the beginning of third period. A child asked to go to the bathroom as he walked into the door of her classroom at 9:53 AM. She told him to wait a few minutes until the bathrooms were unlocked. A few minutes later he left the classroom to go to the bathroom, but he had an “accident” before he could take care of his needs. Mrs. Hassan is being blamed for not allowing him access to the bathroom.

Last week Mrs. Hassan met with you and her UFT Advocate. According to Mrs. Hassan, you asked her why she had not sent the boy to the bathroom when he asked to go. She replied that the bathrooms were locked during the first ten minutes and last ten minutes of every period and that she had told him to wait for a few minutes until they were opened. (The boy did not mention at any time that he had an emergency). You called Principal P, on the phone and asked her about the bathroom rules.

You then told Mrs. Hassan that Principal P. had said that the bathrooms are only locked between classes, and that they are always open during class time. Ms. Hassan then asked you to accompany her down the hallway to the boys’ and girls’ bathrooms where a schedule was prominently displayed indicating when the bathrooms were open and when they were closed. You refused to go look at the sign. So did her UFT advocate.

If it is true that Principal P. told you that the bathrooms are always open during class time, then she lied to a Chancellor’s Investigator.

This is the schedule that was displayed on the bathroom doors:

BATHROOM HOURS OF OPERATION

Bathrooms Closed: Period 1,2,8,9 & Homeroom

Per. 3- 10:03 – 10:31
Per. 4- 10:52 – 11:20
Per. 5- 11:41 – 12:09
Per. 6- 12:30 - 12:58
Per. 7- 1:19 - 1:47

I copied this from the sign that was on the bathroom door.

I have removed that sign and am holding it as evidence that Mrs. Hassan told the truth and that it is a lie to say that bathrooms are open at all times except between classes.

I also have asked my students to write down the bathroom hours of operation as they understand them. I have enclosed one of those statements. I am holding about 100 more as evidence.

I am gravely concerned for Mrs. Hassan’s welfare, not to mention the welfare of all the teachers at I.S. 666. No teacher is safe in a building where guidelines are established by administration and then teachers are brought up on charges for following those guidelines. Teachers do not have the keys to the students’ bathrooms. We have no way of opening the door for a student who has an emergency. The same thing could happen to any teacher in this school.

Mrs. Hassan intends to hire an attorney. Therefore, anyone making statements to you should be advised that at some point in time they might have to make the same statement under oath, and that perjury carries heavy penalties.

Sincerely,


Moriah Untamed
Science Teacher