Category Archives: Transhuman News

Posted by Franco Fernandez, CBS 12 News

WEST PALM BEACH -- A teacher at Roosevelt Middle School finds herself in the midst of controversy after making a Facebook post that some parents found offensive.

During a recent field trip to the Palm Beach Zoo the teacher checked in on the social media site writing, "At the zoo with our animals," referring to the students.

Some parents CBS 12 News spoke with found the post to be extremely offensive.

"How is she going to call my son an animal? Which part is offensive? Is it a racial thing or a behavioral thing? Well, it's both" said on parent.

Roosevelt Middle Principal Jeff Pollard was made aware of the issue and has spoken with the teacher about the post -- which she has since deleted.

"I have a dedicated staff who care about children, but we're not all perfect. The post did have some racial undertones about it, but the teacher didn't have any malice or bad intent. I just want to squash this as soon as possible," said Pollard.

Other parents agree with the principal.

"Sometimes people can be over sensitive," remarked one parent while reading the Facebook post. "I wouldn't read too much into it. I'm sure she loves all her kids. We call our kids names as in fun from time to time... I wouldn't read too much into it."

District officials tell CBS 12 News the teacher is still working at the school and this is now a human resource issue.

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Local teacher catching heat over Facebook post

Ahead of todays hearing on Cambodias record at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, opposition figures and analysts said the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party has reverted to familiar tactics of post-election suppression.

Analysts yesterday said that the breaking up of Cambodia National Rescue Party-led protests at Freedom Park and a crackdown on garment workers earlier this month echoed the crackdowns following elections in 1998 and 2003.

CNRP spokesman Nhem Ponharith said yesterday he believed that the governments actions this year hearkened back to these earlier periods of chaos and political instability.

I think that the recent actions of the CPP have backtracked [the country] to the violent crackdown on the opposition in 1998, he said.

We will continue with the public forums. The latest political environment has turned negative and was [a result of] the failure to decide a date for political negotiations. The previous tactic of the CPP was not appropriate for a modern democracy, he added.

Koul Panha, executive director of election monitor Comfrel, said the CPP was employing Cold War tactics to defeat the opposition movement by force.

In 1998, the crackdown on peaceful demonstrations resulted in pressure on Funcinpec to form a coalition government, but now it is different and the tactic no longer works because the CNRP did not demand a coalition government, he said. The CPP has had to change tactics.

Chea Vannath, an independent political and social analyst, said yesterday that the shift from last years easing of freedoms after the election was a sign that the ruling party still lacked political maturity.

What I observe is that there is a lack of maturity in terms of how to implement the democratic process, she said.

For any problems, the CPP is still quite keen to use force rather than help to convince people, to lobby. It likes using violence to intimidate protesters more. Its the same thing as in 1998 and 2003, the same pattern in terms of democratic processes.

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New deadlock but old tactics, analysts say