Bill Nevins

Hard Lessons From Poetry Class:
Speech is Free Unless it's Critical 

BILL HILL / Daytona Beach News Journal 15may04

Bill Nevins, a New Mexico high school teacher and personal friend, was fired last year and classes in poetry and the poetry club at Rio Rancho High School were permanently terminated. It had nothing to do with obscenity, but it had everything to do with extremist politics.

The "Slam Team" was a group of teenage poets who asked Nevins to serve as faculty adviser to their club. The teens, mostly shy youngsters, were taught to read their poetry aloud and before audiences. Rio Rancho High School gave the Slam Team access to the school's closed-circuit television once a week and the poets thrived.

In March 2003, a teenage girl named Courtney presented one of her poems before an audience at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Albuquerque, then read the poem live on the school's closed-circuit television channel.

A school military liaison and the high school principal accused the girl of being "un-American" because she criticized the war in Iraq and the Bush administration's failure to give substance to its "No child left behind" education policy.

The girl's mother, also a teacher, was ordered by the principal to destroy the child's poetry. The mother refused and may lose her job.

Bill Nevins was suspended for not censoring the poetry of his students. Remember, there is no obscenity to be found in any of the poetry. He was later fired by the principal.

After firing Nevins and terminating the teaching and reading of poetry in the school, the principal and the military liaison read a poem of their own as they raised the flag outside the school. When the principal had the flag at full staff, he applauded the action he'd taken in concert with the military liaison.

Then to all students and faculty who did not share his political opinions, the principal shouted: "Shut your faces." What a wonderful lesson he gave those 3,000 students at the largest public high school in New Mexico. In his mind, only certain opinions are to be allowed.

But more was to come. Posters done by art students were ordered torn down, even though none was termed obscene. Some were satirical, implicating a national policy that had led us into war. Art teachers who refused to rip down the posters on display in their classrooms were not given contracts to return to the school in this current school year.

The message is plain. Critical thinking, questioning of public policies and freedom of speech are not to be allowed to anyone who does not share the thinking of the school principal.

The teachers union has been joined in a legal action against the school by the National Writers Union, headquartered in New York City. NWU's at-large representative Samantha Clark lives and works in Albuquerque.

The American Civil Liberties Union has become the legal arm of the lawsuit pending in federal court.

Meanwhile, Nevins applied for a teaching post in another school and was offered the job but he can't go to work until Rio Rancho's principal sends the new school Nevins' credentials. The principal has refused to do so, and that adds yet another issue to the lawsuit, which is awaiting a trial date.

While students are denied poetry readings, poetry clubs and classes in poetry, Nevins works elsewhere and writes his own poetry.

Writers and editors who have spent years translating essays, films, poems, scientific articles and books by Iranian, North Korean and Sudanese authors have been warned not to do so by the U.S. Treasury Department under penalty of fine and imprisonment. Publishers and film producers are not allowed to edit works authored by writers in those nations. The Bush administration contends doing so has the effect of trading with the enemy, despite a 1988 law that exempts published materials from sanction under trade rules.

Robert Bovenschulte, president of the American Chemical Society, is challenging the rule interpretation by violating it to edit into English several scientific papers from Iran.

Are book burnings next?

Hill is a retired News-Journal reporter.

source: http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/03OpOPN62051504.htm 28may04

About Bill Nevins by the Alliance for Academic Freedom

Bill Nevins, a published poet, journalist and teacher, was assigned to teach at-risk and other students at Rio Rancho High School and to establish a student writing club and performance-poetry team. Nevins' efforts were very successful. Hundreds of students packed the RRHS auditorium and joined nationally-famed New Mexico poets onstage for a December, 2002 poetry reading. Dozens of students joined the Write Club, developing literacy and public-expression skills in a multicultural, multilingual context under Nevins' guidance. A Slam Poetry Team formed, with students joyfully performing their original compositions at school, at local "open mikes" and over the RRHS closed-circuit tv public address system. Nevins and his student poets won high praise from teachers, administrators, parents, and the press. Nevins was asked to extend his poetry work to Rio Rancho's Independence High, an alternative public school. Nevins' innovative literacy and critical-thinking- enhancement work in his own classroom also was praised by colleagues and parents.

Then things changed.

In February, 2003, one of Nevins' Write Club members read her original, iconoclastic poem, "Revolution X" over the RRHS pa system. Immediately, a staff member identified on the school website as the RRHS Military Liaison publicly objected to the reading of the poem, deemed by him to be disrespectful to US government authorities, among other things. The RRHS administration questioned the student poet and "investigated" the poem for "profanity and incitement to violence", though neither were contained in this clever, inspirational poem.

In March, 2003, Nevins was suddenly suspended from teaching and from coaching the Write Club/Poetry Team, which then disbanded. Public readings of student poetry were banned by the RRHS administration. A multicultural poetry assembly set for April was cancelled. Student protests against Nevins' removal were silenced by the school administration and at least one student who refused to stop speaking out was encouraged to drop out of RRHS. In May, 2003, still under suspension, Nevins was informed by the RRHS administration that his contract will not be renewed for the coming school year.

A cloud of silence, censorship and fear hangs over the RRHS school district. A once-vibrant student literacy and critical-speaking/critical-thinking initiative has been crushed. In May, 2003, the RRHS Military Liaison and the Principal triumphantly raised a flag on school grounds and read out a poem telling critics of war policy to "shut your faces". Principal Gary Tripp told local press that this was "a high point" of his principalship.

TEACH FREEDOM… …LOSE YOUR JOB!

Exercising your rights can get you fired!

“It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate. The vigilant protection of constitutional freedoms is nowhere more vital than in the community of American schools. The classroom is peculiarly the ‘marketplace of ideas’. The Nation’s future depends upon leaders trained through wide exposure to the robust exchange of ideas which discovers truth ‘out of the multitude of tongues, [rather] than through any kind of authoritative selection. In order for the State in the person of school officials to justify prohibition of a particular expression of opinion, it must be able to show that its action was caused by something more than a mere desire to avoid the discomfort and unpleasantness that always accompany an unpopular viewpoint.” —Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, US Supreme Court, 1969

Facts about this case

BILL NEVINS, a published poet, journalist and Rio Rancho High School teacher, had created a “marketplace of ideas” in his classroom. Through the Write Club and Poetry Team, students developed literacy and public speaking skills in a multicultural context under his guidance. On the eve of the US attack on Iraq, a club student read an original poem critical of the government to the student body. The RRHS Military Liaison complained, the student was investigated for “inciting violence,” and Nevins was suddenly suspended from teaching for allegedly mishandling field trip forms. The Write Club disbanded. Public readings of student poetry were banned by the RRHS administration. RRHS Principal Gary Tripp cancelled a multicultural poetry assembly set for April when he could not approve the content of each poem to be read. Other faculty members were told to “mind [their] own business.” Nevins challenged these actions as an affront to freedom of speech and in May 2003, he learned his contract would not be renewed. At the same time, the RRHS Military Liaison read a poem at a flag raising ceremony telling critics of war policy to "shut your faces." Gary Tripp told local press that this was "a new high as principal.” National Lawyers Guild attorney Eric Sirotkin is taking Nevins’ case to court.

Support classrooms where:

• Students learn critical thinking without fear
• Students learn to speak freely while respecting the opinions of others
• Students are encouraged to actively participate in public forums, campaigns and other activities of a healthy democracy.
• Teachers teach without fear of retaliation for allowing expression of unpopular views.

Please support the Bill Nevins Academic Freedom Defense Fund

Please help us with a donation to stop the intimidation of our children, educators, communities, and our democracy. With the continual erosion of our civil liberties, we must stand together to preserve our freedom here at home.

For information contact: Gordon Monaghan (505) 259-2738 or Janice Hart (505)268-8033

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Please make check payable to: Legal Counseling Services Trust Fund

Mail to: Alliance for Academic Freedom, 202 Harvard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

source: http://aaf.virtualactivism.net/NevinsFlyer.pdf 28may04

Alliance for Academic Freedom News Release

CONTACT:

Eric Haas 		  Janice Hart 		  Gordon Monaghan
Tele: (505) 255-4422  	  Tele: (505) 268-8033 	  Cell: (505) 259-2738
Cell: (505) 250-9782 	  Cell: (505) 720-2812 	  Email: monaghan@cybermesa.com 
Email: eric.haas@asu.edu  Email: jhart@nmia.com 

Over 20 artists to perform at the Kimo in support of fired Rio Rancho teacher, Bill Nevins

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—On September 14, 2003, at 6:00 pm, over 20 local and regional authors, poets and musicians will read and perform at the Kimo Theater in a presentation entitled, “Poetic Justice: Committing Poetry in Times of War.” Authors, poets and musicians, including Alisa Valdes-Rodriquez, author of Dirty Girls Social Club, Levi Romero, Chuy Martinez, Jenny Bird, Danny Solis, Demetria Martinez, Kenn Rodriguez, Don McIver, Lisa Gill, Mitch Rayes, Sina Sao, and Stephen Ausherman are among those who will read and perform at Poetic Justice. Poetic Justice is presented to support the legal defense of Bill Nevins, the Rio Rancho teacher and poetry club sponsor who spent months suspended from the classroom during the Iraq War and then had his contract not renewed in retaliation for his support of students’ poetic expression. Admission is free. Donations for the Bill Nevins Academic Freedom Defense Fund are appreciated.

Poetic Justice will also mark the filing of Bill Nevins’ lawsuit against the Rio Rancho Public Schools for violations of his First Amendment right to free speech and association. Mr. Nevins decided to sue the Rio Rancho Public Schools after the School Board refused to renew his contract, despite requests from Mr. Nevins as well as members of the Alliance for Academic Freedom. The suit is expected to be filed the next morning.

Mr. Nevins is represented by National Lawyers Guild attorney Eric Sirotkin. The suit will have court costs, irrespective of lawyers fees, that can rise to as much as $50,000.00. It is not clear how much it will cost Rio Rancho and New Mexico taxpayers to defend the lawsuit, but cases of this nature can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend.

Mr. Sirotkin can be contacted at 266-2753.

The Kimo Theater is located at 423 Central Avenue, SW, in downtown Albuquerque.

“Poetic Justice” is organized by the Alliance for Academic Freedom in support of the Bill Nevins Academic Freedom Defense Fund. For more information on Poetic Justice, the Alliance for Academic Freedom, Bill Nevins, or the Bill Nevins Academic Freedom Defense Fund, please visit the Alliance for Academic Freedom website at http://aaf.virtualactivism.net  or contact one of the Alliance spokespersons listed above.

The Alliance for Academic Freedom is a group of community members, parents, educators and students formed to support the balanced teaching of controversial topics in New Mexico’s public schools. For more information, please visit our website at http://aaf.virtualactivism.net

source: http://aaf.virtualactivism.net/AAF.Poetic.Justice.Press.Release.Final.8.24.03.htm 28may04