Seth Stambaugh, a student teacher at Sexton Mountain elementary school, was apparently dismissed after answering a fourth-grader's question about his marital status by saying it would be illegal for him to marry because he would choose to marry a man.
The controversy has led to denials of anti-gay discrimination by the district, the student teacher scrambling to meet academic requirements, a lawyer weighing options for a lawsuit, and a graduate education program using the incident as a teachable moment.
Stambaugh is in the Master of Education program at Lewis and Clark College. At the start of the current school year, he and his colleagues all started student-teaching in area schools as part of the practicum portion of their education.
Stambaugh was paired with a teacher in a fourth-grade class at Sexton Mountain school in the Beaverton District. The story was first reported in the Portland Mercury newspaper and the account of what happened was confirmed by Stambaugh's lawyer Lake Perriguey.

There were two complaints filed against Stambaugh, according to Perriguey.
The father of a student reportedly complained that Stambaugh had dressed inappropriately. Stambaugh was wearing pressed slacks, an oxford-style shirt and his grandfather's cardigan. The complaint was dismissed by the school, according to Perriguey.

Beaverton School District spokeswoman Maureen Wheeler said that the district honors diversity, including sexual orientation. Wheeler said she could not talk specifically about the conversation, but noted it took place with "a fourth-grader, and that's a 9-year-old."

CrashburnAlley wrote:This country's phobia of Muslims and gays never ceases to simultaneously entertain and depress me.

Houshphandzadeh wrote:"Country Club Casual," what is it?

(this is not reference to old Harvey Milk up there, this is about an engagement party I have to go to)

Houshphandzadeh wrote:"Country Club Casual," what is it?

(this is not reference to old Harvey Milk up there, this is about an engagement party I have to go to)