Teacher placed on leave for questionable Facebook posting

[Tim Nunan]

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp? ... menu1362_2

BEAVER DAM (WKOW) -- Beaver Dam school officials placed a middle school teacher on administrative leave after discovering a photograph of the teacher with a gun on the teacher's Facebook page.

In the photo, teacher Betsy Ramsdale is training a rifle at the camera.

Ramsdale emailed 27 News in response to our inquiries saying she "removed the photo immediately" and that she is not "interested in any controversy." Ramsdale did not comment on her motivation for posting the photo.

Schools superintendent Donald Childs told 27 News he is unaware of any sinister intent on the teacher's part and said the use of the photo "appears to be poor judgment."

Childs said the Facebook photo was brought to the attention of school district officials by a concerned staff member at Beaver Dam Middle School.

Ramsdale's biography on the school district website states she is in her first year of teaching at the middle school. Department of Public Instruction records show Ramsdale has been licensed to teach since 1996.

Middle school parent Jennifer Buzzell said the teacher's decision to post the photograph was concerning.

"I don't think it's appropriate," Buzzell told 27 News. "I'm not sure why this would be on the computer at all."

"I don't see anything wrong with it," school parent Mark Hagstrom said. "She's on her time to do what she wants."

School parent Chad Van Loo said the photograph sends the wrong message.

"With the way things are going these days, with the kids bringing guns to school and bomb threats, (photograph) is something to be concerned about."

Ramsdale's union representation is through the Beaver Dam Education Association. Association president Janet Schumaker has yet to return a call from 27 News.

[jim coulter]

She should have left it on there and sued the hell out of the school board. The photo violated no laws that I know of except to get some anti gun pecker head's panties in a wad. I would have sued that idiot too for trying to violate my 1st amendment rights of free speech. Didnt like the part of her not wanting any controversy. At some point we have to quit rolling over and playing dead and take a stand for whats right. The only "poor judgement" I see is the idiots on the school board.

[redbarron06]

According to this story the ACLU is coming to the rescue?