It has become surreal how events making the news lately have ‘hit very close to home’ for me. A couple of weeks ago it was about the situation on the USS Lincoln and today it’s about the controversy with the WNBA. This may come across as a bit of rant, but there will be a point I am trying to make.
A few years ago, I had my own situation regarding the issue of biological males being allowed in female spaces that cost me a career along with my reputation (a reputation already in tatters from fighting battles that I didn’t belong in). I have debated whether to share this story given its controversy, but I feel it necessary so that I can “clear the air” of what really happened at Bridgman Public Schools in the fall of 2021. My intention is to provide clarity and understanding, not agreement as I am certain BPS will disagree with my version of events.
Back in August of 2021, I was offered the position of Aquatic Director at Bridgman Public Schools by then Assistant Superintendent Sam Stine. I was also offered the position of Substitute Teacher from BPS High School Principal Gerald Heath where I would work one-to-one with a student with Autism. This was a perfect opportunity as I had much to offer as an Aquatic Director such as starting a sailing club at Weko Beach, teaching SCUBA then planning dive trips during winter and spring breaks, organize overnight canoe trips up north, and maybe even start a water polo team. The opportunities were endless given my vast experience. I also had much to offer to the student I would be shadowing. I agreed to both job offers on a handshake which would later prove to be problematic.
On the Friday before I was to begin at BPS, I received a frantic call from Principal Heath informing me that I was not qualified to be a Substitute Teacher and that I would be relegated to being a ParaPro making $10.50 an hour. It was clearly evident that BPS wanted me gone before I even started and the demotion to $10.50hr was the plan to make me go away. In hindsight, I should have walked away but I decided to stay believing I could still become the Aquatic Director. For the entire semester, (former) Superintendent Shane Peters and (former Asst Superintendent Sam Stine) would ignore me and also ignore my emails wanting to know the status of our labor agreement.
With just over two weeks left to go in the semester, I wrote a letter of resignation to then Superintendent Peters and the Bridgman Board of Education with a tw0- weeks notice. In my letter, I wrote about being lied to with the Aquatic Director position and I wrote about being witness to BPS violating the Equal Protection Clause, violating the Establishment Clause, and indoctrinating Students with issues most Parents would find quite objectionable - including the normalizing of transgendering children. In addition, I produced evidence that BPS was indoctrinating students by teaching Critical Race Theory along with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion even though the Bridgman Board of Education claimed to Parents that such controversial issues were not being taught.
On the evening before I was going to submit my resignation, I received a phone call from Reed Middle School Principal John Truesdell telling me that I was being placed on Administrative Leave pending an investigation of Professional Misconduct and that I am not to return to BPS until further notice. Truesdell wouldn’t tell me what I was being accused of and as expected, I was never contacted by BPS to return. What BPS did was classic employee retaliation by placing me on Administrative Leave (without any documentation) then falsely claim that I had quit. The irony is that if BPS had waited just one more day, they would have had my letter of resignation and this post (rant) would never been necessary. And had Peters, Stine, or Heath had the testicular fortitude to be honest with me back in September of ‘21, this entire situation could have been avoided. Instead, they created a labor dispute that I believe was instrumental in ending the careers of Superintendent Shane Peters and Asst. Superintendent Sam Stine at Bridgman Public Schools.
[Ask yourself this - doesn’t it seem odd that Shane Peters would decide to retire as Superintendent from a School District that has a High School ranked 20th in the state to then become an interim High School Principal in the same County? And doesn’t it seem odd that Sam Stine would quit his position as Assistant Superintendent at the same successful School District (and his Alma Matter) in order to become a ‘Curriculum Advisor’ at another area High School? The irony with Stines’ demotion is that School Administrators don’t control the curriculum. It’s the (radical) Teachers Union who controls the curriculum, the classrooms, and ultimately the fate of Administrators in most every Public School District].
It would take several months before I would find out why BPS rescinded the Aquatic Director position and it involves the same controversy as the WNBA - allowing biological males to compete in biological women’s sports. Peters, Stine, and Heath knew me personally and knew I would never accept such a policy no matter how much I wanted to be Aquatic Director. It makes me wonder why they offered me the Aquatic Director position in the fist place. Did they believe that I would ‘tolerate’ such a mandate for the sake of the job?
For the record, I would rather spend 250 days at sea on an Aircraft Carrier eating cat turds then spend one day as an Aquatic Director at a Public School that allows for biological males to compete amongst females and occupy their spaces (locker rooms).
A few years ago, I had my own situation regarding the issue of biological males being allowed in female spaces that cost me a career along with my reputation (a reputation already in tatters from fighting battles that I didn’t belong in). I have debated whether to share this story given its controversy, but I feel it necessary so that I can “clear the air” of what really happened at Bridgman Public Schools in the fall of 2021. My intention is to provide clarity and understanding, not agreement as I am certain BPS will disagree with my version of events.
Back in August of 2021, I was offered the position of Aquatic Director at Bridgman Public Schools by then Assistant Superintendent Sam Stine. I was also offered the position of Substitute Teacher from BPS High School Principal Gerald Heath where I would work one-to-one with a student with Autism. This was a perfect opportunity as I had much to offer as an Aquatic Director such as starting a sailing club at Weko Beach, teaching SCUBA then planning dive trips during winter and spring breaks, organize overnight canoe trips up north, and maybe even start a water polo team. The opportunities were endless given my vast experience. I also had much to offer to the student I would be shadowing. I agreed to both job offers on a handshake which would later prove to be problematic.
On the Friday before I was to begin at BPS, I received a frantic call from Principal Heath informing me that I was not qualified to be a Substitute Teacher and that I would be relegated to being a ParaPro making $10.50 an hour. It was clearly evident that BPS wanted me gone before I even started and the demotion to $10.50hr was the plan to make me go away. In hindsight, I should have walked away but I decided to stay believing I could still become the Aquatic Director. For the entire semester, (former) Superintendent Shane Peters and (former Asst Superintendent Sam Stine) would ignore me and also ignore my emails wanting to know the status of our labor agreement.
With just over two weeks left to go in the semester, I wrote a letter of resignation to then Superintendent Peters and the Bridgman Board of Education with a tw0- weeks notice. In my letter, I wrote about being lied to with the Aquatic Director position and I wrote about being witness to BPS violating the Equal Protection Clause, violating the Establishment Clause, and indoctrinating Students with issues most Parents would find quite objectionable - including the normalizing of transgendering children. In addition, I produced evidence that BPS was indoctrinating students by teaching Critical Race Theory along with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion even though the Bridgman Board of Education claimed to Parents that such controversial issues were not being taught.
On the evening before I was going to submit my resignation, I received a phone call from Reed Middle School Principal John Truesdell telling me that I was being placed on Administrative Leave pending an investigation of Professional Misconduct and that I am not to return to BPS until further notice. Truesdell wouldn’t tell me what I was being accused of and as expected, I was never contacted by BPS to return. What BPS did was classic employee retaliation by placing me on Administrative Leave (without any documentation) then falsely claim that I had quit. The irony is that if BPS had waited just one more day, they would have had my letter of resignation and this post (rant) would never been necessary. And had Peters, Stine, or Heath had the testicular fortitude to be honest with me back in September of ‘21, this entire situation could have been avoided. Instead, they created a labor dispute that I believe was instrumental in ending the careers of Superintendent Shane Peters and Asst. Superintendent Sam Stine at Bridgman Public Schools.
[Ask yourself this - doesn’t it seem odd that Shane Peters would decide to retire as Superintendent from a School District that has a High School ranked 20th in the state to then become an interim High School Principal in the same County? And doesn’t it seem odd that Sam Stine would quit his position as Assistant Superintendent at the same successful School District (and his Alma Matter) in order to become a ‘Curriculum Advisor’ at another area High School? The irony with Stines’ demotion is that School Administrators don’t control the curriculum. It’s the (radical) Teachers Union who controls the curriculum, the classrooms, and ultimately the fate of Administrators in most every Public School District].
It would take several months before I would find out why BPS rescinded the Aquatic Director position and it involves the same controversy as the WNBA - allowing biological males to compete in biological women’s sports. Peters, Stine, and Heath knew me personally and knew I would never accept such a policy no matter how much I wanted to be Aquatic Director. It makes me wonder why they offered me the Aquatic Director position in the fist place. Did they believe that I would ‘tolerate’ such a mandate for the sake of the job?
For the record, I would rather spend 250 days at sea on an Aircraft Carrier eating cat turds then spend one day as an Aquatic Director at a Public School that allows for biological males to compete amongst females and occupy their spaces (locker rooms).