HOWELL, Mich. – The Howell High School student who claims his teacher threw him out class for not supporting gays told his side of the story to Local 4 Wednesday night.
Daniel Glowacki talked to Local 4 the same day the Howell School Board came out and reaffirmed its decision to suspend without pay for one day Howell High School Economics teacher Jay McDowell.
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On Nov. 8, McDowell wore a purple T-shirt to school that represented support for gay teens on a day the school devoted to anti-bullying.
McDowell also showed the students a movie about bullying of gay teens.
The discussion turned heated when McDowell told a female student she had to remove a Confederate flag belt buckle she was wearing because he found it offensive.
Glowacki said he asked McDowell what was the difference between him wearing the shirt and the girl wearing the belt buckle.
?I raised my hand and asked him why it was that he can wear a purple shirt and she couldn?t wear a confederate flag belt buckle?? Glowacki said.
Glowacki said just because he?s Catholic and doesn?t personally support a gay lifestyle, it doesn?t mean he goes around bullying classmates.
?If I?m walking by and a gay kid is getting shoved up against a locker I?m going to say, ?Hey, leave him alone,?? Glowacki said.
Glowacki and another classmate were thrown out of the classroom, and McDowell called the office and explained in front of students how he?d like to see the two students disciplined, records said.
?He went on and on about how if I was against gays I could get up and leave his classroom right now and I was just like, ?Are you serious?? and he said, ?If you?re against gays you can leave my classroom.? So I picked up my backpack and I walked out in the hallway,? Glowacki said.
Written statements taken from other students in the class said McDowell told the class ?If the student was Catholic, he?d be or should be in Catholic school? and ?followed him into the hall yelling he was a racist.?
Wednesday night, McDowell told Local 4 several student statements of the incident were false and he did not call Glowacki a racist.
McDowell said he had ordered what is called a snap suspension, which means the student is not allowed to return to class for the remainder of the period, but can return to class the following day.
Howell Public Schools Superintendent Ronald Wilson released a statement Wednesday that reaffirmed McDowell's suspension.
Wilson said there would be no reversal of the disciplinary action.
"McDowell threatened to bring a media frenzy on the schools if the district's decision was not reversed," Wilson said. "He and his supporters have succeeded in painting out school community as bigoted, racist and homophobic."
Wilson said that what started out as a disagreement over the expression of one's beliefs has degraded into an unhealthy series that paints Howell schools as dangerous places to work and learn.
"The facts stand. McDowell violated board policy in dismissing students from his class who disagreed with him," Wilson said.
Wilson said the district has invested in eliminating bullying. He said the school district will "make the following commitments to our students, staff, parents and community."
1. The district will complete the Marcia McEvoy Violence Prevention training at Howell High School. The district will provide a parent, student, staff and community evening presentation by Dr. Marcia McEvoy.
2. The district will arrange for additional training for all staff in the area of violence prevention in the schools: How to Prevent Student Bullying, Mean Teasing, Intimidation and Harassment in collaboration with state and federal laws and guidelines.
3. The board of education will review policies related to bullying, harassment and discrimination. The goal of this review will be to assure that the board?s policies fully address these issues and concerns.
4. Howell Public Schools will work closely with the Livingston Diversity Council to ensure a coordinated community response to bullying, harassment and diversity. Together, we will continue to promote a learning environment that is safe, welcoming and inclusive of all members of our society. The council?s mission is to ?lead our community to become ever more welcoming, harmonious and prosperous.?
"It is our intention to become a role model for other districts in the areas of greater diversity, eliminating bullying and creating a safe environment for all students," Wilson said.
Wendy Day, a member of the Howell School Board, said she?s thinking about opening a hearing on whether McDowell?s tenure can be revoked.
?If we?re going to stop bullying it needs to start with behavior being modeled by the teachers themselves. Most of our teachers are great and in this particular instance the teacher acted extremely inappropriately,? Day said.
Glowacki?s mother told Local 4 she?s considering suing McDowell for his behavior.
Sources told Local 4 that McDowell has filed a grievance about his suspension.