Teacher Suspended for Writing to Congress

hink you have the right to free speech? Think again.

A Florida elementary teacher was suspended by the county school board because she wrote a letter to her congressman urging restrictions on immigration.

Jan P. Hall, a white teacher for 25 years with an employment history that includes high praise from different school principals in Orange and Polk counties, was suspended without pay by black school Superintendent Ron Blocker for correspondence with members of Congress that contained what he called "statements that could be considered discriminatory..."

Hall, 59, had sent hand-written letters to members of Florida's congressional delegation urging them to support a moratorium on immigration "for a while until we get this economy and the schools back on their feet."

According to the Orlando Sentinel, central Flordia's congressional offices denied receiving any letters from Hall. Apparently, an unscrupulous congressional staffer leaked the letter to a Spanish language newspaper in Florida where it was published to embarrass the teacher.

The Sentinel also published the text of the letter. In it, Hall noted that immigrants disrupt the educational process for native-born children.

"Our school at Sadler Elementary where I teach is 92% Puerto Rican. Please consider changing the laws and keeping these people home in Puerto Rico...

"These P.R. children are holding American children back academically... I find that Haitian children are more aggressive in the classroom and have not been to school regularly. Their poor conduct is yet another real problem.

"In Winter Haven, Fl., a large orange grove area with Mexican migrants do the work, jobs that poor blacks and poor whites used to take are filled by Mexicans, who I am told bring in drugs and diseases such as incurabel TB, for the most part.

"I know that the solution is difficult, but other countries protect their borders and do not allow foreigners to take citizens' jobs. Please do not allow criminals to stay, as they are filling the jails in Fl."

At a fiery school board meeting to discuss how to punish Hall, at least one teacher defended her. Robert A. Linn, a substitute teacher in Seminole County, said he thought the substance of Hall's letter was true.

But black and Hispanic residents were outraged. Sylvia Caceres, head of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration in Orlando, said the letter hurt her feelings.

"I must say that last week were very hurt. It's a shock to me that we are in the 21st century and that there are still people that don't embrace diversity."

Frank Kruppenbacher, attorney for the school board, said the board has the right to suspend Hall without pay for writing the letter. It is up to the board members to decide whether to fire her.

Armando Payas Sr., founder of an Orlando law firm, told the Sentinel that Hall's letter-writing ought to be "investigated" to determine what action to take.

"The school authorities have taken the necessary steps to address this situation, and there's an investigation process that is getting started," he said. "We have to let that process be completed."