A message of support for Matthew LaClair

[Guest Dan McKinley]

Matthew: you are a brave young man. I wish that I had had your courage when I was your age.

[Guest Guest]

You may not like it, but the New York Times singled Matthew out for courage yesterday. That is a high honor for anyone. On the blogs he has been called a hero, spoken of as a present and future leader, and mentioned for several awards. One person went so far as to mention him for a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and two people got so carried away as to mention him as a presidential candidate some day. While I think that's not likely, the praise has been absolutely glowing. I've already had a member of an alumni group from a major university contact me to invite him to apply to college there, and he has two pending speaking engagements with groups who almost always reserve their platforms for adults. You may do well to consider the fact that many very intelligent people consider your former friend and your classmate a hero. That's their judgment, it needn't be yours, but if you won't at least consider that, maybe you weren't such a great friend after all.

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UGH! Paul - you're making it worse!!! I know you're a proud papa and all that, but pointing out how many successes Matt is having/will have to a group of young people who resent every minute of his time in the spotlight is only going to increase the amount of hostility towards your son! While it s**ks that you have to be this way for your son's safety, please resist the urge.

By all means, continue submitting his name for awards (the Kennedy Family honors seems attainable), and let Matthew's success be the best form of revenge.

[Guest Guest]

Europe is a good place for all you "like-minded people". Please stay there.

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Well as long as we're telling people where to go or stay, how about you hole up in the Arctic for a good 10 to 12 years. Maybe that will shock all of the rocks out of your skull.

[Guest Jaberwok]

Dear Matt,

A little late but I hope you read this none the less. Im an ardent Catholic myself and have very strong views on abortion and other issues that would be placed at the conservative end of the spectrum but I whole heartedly applaud you for your actions in dealing with your proselytizing teacher. Religion is a subject of personal choice and the reactions of many of your townsfolk appalled me. Never back down for what you believe in and always fight for your right to live your life free from oppressive close mindedness.

Best wishes

Hey at least this will be good for your college apps, no?

[Strife767]

Allow me to say Matthew LaClair was wrong. I agree in the fact that a teacher should never bring in religion like that.

Yet Matthew was wrong?

But this was a histroy teacher and religion is one of the major drives of history.

Oh, come on. The teacher was not speaking of his religion in any historical context. All he did was talk about his dogma and undermine the science curriculum with what he said.

Also if you listen to the audio the teacher asks if anyone minds if the conversation continues. If Matt had a problem he could have said he did not wish for the conversation to continue and it probably would have ended.

Read up around here--it doesn't matter. And there is legal precedent for this. The teacher is in a position of power--asking for consent does not make his actions okay.

Now when you have a conversation on something as fundamentally important in religion, in history and in some people, you are bound to get some peoples personal opinion. Isn't that one of the things we fought for during the Revolutionary War, freedom to state your opinion.

Preaching in public school is not protected speech. End of story--the law is very clear on this matter.

I happen to know Matt LaClair, me and him used to be good friends, and I know first hand the Matt likes attention. He is an actor and anyone who knows anything about business knows that any publicity is good publicity. I give Matt some credit he did his research in finding out that the teacher was a priest and also he knew exactly hwo to talk to. But in the end I feel bad for the teacher because in the end even after all the contrpversy is over with, and Matt LaClair is proven to be doing nothing more then looking for attention,

Revealing that a public school teacher is trampling callously on the Constitiution without a drop of remorse is not merely "looking for attention," sorry. Matthew exposed something bad that needed to be exposed.

this teacher will still have the stigma of these accusations.

And he will deserve them--if he can't handle the consequences of doing what he did, he should have thought about that before he did it. I might think differently if he at least apologized, but since he didn't...nope, he deserves all the controversy he gets for his shameless actions.

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[Guest Paul]

UGH!  Paul - you're making it worse!!!  I know you're a proud papa and all that, but pointing out how many successes Matt is having/will have to a group of young people who resent every minute of his time in the spotlight is only going to increase the amount of hostility towards your son!  While it s**ks that you have to be this way for your son's safety, please resist the urge.

By all means, continue submitting his name for awards (the Kennedy Family honors seems attainable), and let Matthew's success be the best form of revenge.

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I appreciate that, but that wasn't my purpose.

[Guest 2smart4u]

As someone else has already observed, Paszkiewicz was not teaching history with these rants. He was proselytizing his religion. Under the law, it doesn't matter that he asked whether anyone minded, he's not allowed to do it, and he is required to know that. Our forefathers didn't fight the Revolutionary War war so that public school teachers could use the classroom to preach their religion and their politics to a captive audiece of teenagers; the teacher's job is to teach, not to preach. There is a difference, and it can't be overlooked by suggesting that religion is part of history, when Paszkiewicz wasn't using the discussion to teach any history. He was using it to promote his personal opinions. The law is very clear on this point.

Since you say you were good friends with Matthew, I'll make sure he reads your post. Better yet, school resumes tomorrow. Reach out to him, talk to him, and maybe you'll better understand why he did this, or for that matter call him today to discuss it. If you were good friends, you should know how to reach him.

With all due respect, I know him better than you do, and from what you're posting, you don't begin to understand him. From what Matthew tells me, people whom he used to consider his friends have shouted at him in the halls, and when he has tried to respond to them civilly, they wouldn't listen, they just shouted angrily and walked away. From the mature way I've seen him respond to professional journalists (local, regional and national), I'm inclined to believe him. If he has lost his cool during all this, I haven't seen it. Every journalist who has commented to me has been highly complimentary of him. Maybe your mind is closed unfairly, maybe your biases are driving you, not your reason --- ever think of that?

You may not like it, but the New York Times singled Matthew out for courage yesterday. That is a high honor for anyone. On the blogs he has been called a hero, spoken of as a present and future leader, and mentioned for several awards. One person went so far as to mention him for a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and two people got so carried away as to mention him as a presidential candidate some day. While I think that's not likely, the praise has been absolutely glowing. I've already had a member of an alumni group from a major university contact me to invite him to apply to college there, and he has two pending speaking engagements with groups who almost always reserve their platforms for adults. You may do well to consider the fact that many very intelligent people consider your former friend and your classmate a hero. That's their judgment, it needn't be yours, but if you won't at least consider that, maybe you weren't such a great friend after all.

Matthew isn't the only person who faces the question: what kind of person do you want to be. You face it, too, and if you are or were any kind of a friend, you'll talk with him civilly and openly about this. He has other friends who don't agree with him, but have stood by him with the same kind of courage he has demonstrated in doing what he believes is right. On the other hand, some people who probably would have stayed friends with him on their own have caved in to peer pressure and taken him off their myspace lists. Apparently they weren't such great friends in the first place. He won't always tell you, but when he sees something like that he has the maturity to know whom he can respect and trust, and whom he can't. Agree or disagree with him, if you're any kind of friend, you'll respect that. When you second-guess his motives, I don't see that kind of respect. What I see is someone who doesn't agree with him, and can't separate that disagreement from his character.

With or without his "former friends," Matthew will remain true to his commitments. That is character. I hope you'll think about it.

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This whole thing is starting to get nauseating. "The NY Times singled Matt out for his courage". "Called a hero" "Presidential Medal of Freedom" "Presidential Candidate" "Alumni group of major university" "speaking engagements" ??? Nothing against the son, but all he did was secretly record a teacher's conversation ( probably at Daddy's behest ). It was not heroic (I would call it sneaky). It was not couragous (I would call it vindictive). I wish the boy well, but enough is enough.

[Guest centerfield]

Great work Matt - Jefferson and Paine, and all the all the other patriots who risked their lives to establish this country and maintain the separation of church and state, would be proud of you. Your school and community should give you a citizenship award and then fire that teacher or at least suspend him until he has completed some basic courses in history and science that are not taught by a preacher.

[Guest Mark]

I just finished reading the NYT article about the controversy in Kearny. Since I've been unable to find an email address for Matthew LaClair, I'm posting here and hoping it will get back to him. I haven't read the other messages relating to this topic, on this board, because I'll probably be so incensed by them that I'll end up yelling at the screen, as apparently the teacher has received more support.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you, Matthew. I think you've done a brave and vitally important thing, and you should be very proud of it. I am really impressed to see so much 'spunk' and initiative in someone your age - congratulations on having a functioning mind! It's a rarity around here these days. You have done the right thing, but I am very sad to say that it won't be enough, in my opinion. If you choose to stay and carry on the good fight, more power to you. If you decide that you're just banging your head against a fundamentalist brick wall, and decide to emigrate, as I did, might I suggest Europe? There are lots of like-minded people over here.

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I also want to express my support for Matthew and his family. I tried listening to the recordings that are now floating around the web and didn't even make it to the teacher's proselytizing before I stopped in total disgust from the lies he was telling the class about the Katrina disaster.

I lived just outside of New Orleans back then. Where I lived was just enough outside the city to avoid the worst of the disaster and I had evacuated along with the other million plus of us that did. But I was there. I lived through it. The teacher lied to those students to defend George Bush. It was nothing but a litany of "Bush was right, Bush was right, Bush was right." It made me sick to hear someone so willing to lie about his fellow citizens who had suffered through the single worst natural disaster ever to strike the US.

It was not teaching. It was indoctrination. About as Soviet as things get.

I don't even have to listen to the rest of the recordings. The man clearly "teaches" his personal political and religious beliefs as "fact." He is not a teacher in any sense of the word. He did not use ANY of the discussion going on in class to challenge his students to read, research, and form opinions. He simply lectured them on how great and wonderful and worthy of worship George Bush is.

One wonders when Christianity became the worship of a US President, of a man. Or did I miss the elevation of Bush to the status of god?

The teacher has every right to hold whatever opinions he wishes. But teaching is not the indoctrination of students to think as he approves. This teacher is wrong on so many levels and I think he should be fired. But at the very least, a slap on the wrist (with, I bet, a wink and a nod) is simply not acceptable. The school must deal with this matter.

The man should teach, not preach. And if he can't, he should be invited to pursue another carreer.

[Guest Guest]

ALL IS NOT LOST FOR THIS AND THE NEXT GENERATION...THANKS FOR GIVING US HOPE

[Guest Guest]

Allow me to say Matthew LaClair was wrong. I agree in the fact that a teacher should never bring in religion like that. But this was a histroy teacher and religion is one of the major drives of history. Also if you listen to the audio the teacher asks if anyone minds if the conversation continues. 

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Well, I'm allowed to say YOU are wrong. The teacher was not speaking of the historical signifigance of religion but preaching his personal beliefs which is wrong. And np teacher should be relying on his students to decide what is appropriate in the classroom.

[Guest Guest]

Matthew: you are a brave young man. I wish that I had had your courage when I was your age.

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If your father was behind you, you would have the courage...you know an attorney father who deosn't do anything else other than post here...

[Guest Guest]

You may not like it, but the New York Times singled Matthew out for courage yesterday. That is a high honor for anyone. On the blogs he has been called a hero, spoken of as a present and future leader, and mentioned for several awards. One person went so far as to mention him for a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and two people got so carried away as to mention him as a presidential candidate some day. While I think that's not likely, the praise has been absolutely glowing. I've already had a member of an alumni group from a major university contact me to invite him to apply to college there, and he has two pending speaking engagements with groups who almost always reserve their platforms for adults. You may do well to consider the fact that many very intelligent people consider your former friend and your classmate a hero. That's their judgment, it needn't be yours, but if you won't at least consider that, maybe you weren't such a great friend after all.

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Now you are talking Mr. LaClair. We always knew the reason why your son did what he did, but I never expected you to say it publicly. Well, it looks like he got what you wanted him to get...now move on and leave Kearny alone.

[Strife767]

This whole thing is starting to get nauseating. "The NY Times singled Matt out for his courage".  "Called a hero"  "Presidential Medal of Freedom"  "Presidential  Candidate"  "Alumni group of major university" "speaking engagements" ???  Nothing against the son, but all he did was secretly record a teacher's conversation ( probably at Daddy's behest ).  It was not heroic  (I would call it sneaky).  It was not couragous (I would call it vindictive). I wish the boy well, but enough is enough.

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I think it is both heroic and courageous for him to take a stand and actually get some hard evidence on the unconstitutional actions of a teacher that was generally well-liked among his peers. It's not easy to 'tell on' a teacher people like, even when the teacher is doing some very reprehensible things. If it's not courage to do that, and it's not kinda heroic to be the one and only person with the guts to do it, then how do you define those words?

[Guest KHS Alumni]

I do not find it acceptable to preach religion in public schools, however this teacher has done more good than harm during the many years he has been teaching. This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. The town of Kearny supports the teacher not because we are all religious freaks from a small town who don't know any better, but because as a whole, he is a good teacher. If he were seriously offending anyone other than Matthew, the issue would have been raised long ago. Everyone is saying it takes guts to do what he did, and yes I'm sure it did, however, the rest of the students in Kearny High School aren't timid little doormats. For those of you out of staters, Kearny is right in between Newark and Jersey City. We aren't some hick town churning our own butter. I honestly doubt that any child raised in this area would be too scared to stand up to a teacher who is being offensive every day. From personal experience, I can say this teacher is far from intimidating. Everyone is giving this boy far too much credit, and now because he can't bask in the limelight(as planned) without some opposition along the way everyone is feeling sorry for him and quick to judge an entire town of people because they back the teacher. We are all wrong and this one boy is right???? Come on now...think about it.

And by the way....WAKE UP BLEEDING HEARTS....THERE IS A WAR GOING ON IN IRAQ....our boys are dying everyday...try directing some of your energy towards fighting to bring them home. Stop wasting time on "small town matters"

[Guest KHS Alumni]

I do not find it acceptable to preach religion in public schools, however this teacher has done more good than harm during the many years he has been teaching. This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. The town of Kearny supports the teacher not because we are all religious freaks from a small town who don't know any better, but because as a whole, he is a good teacher. If he were seriously offending anyone other than Matthew, the issue would have been raised long ago. Everyone is saying it takes guts to do what he did, and yes I'm sure it did, however, the rest of the students in Kearny High School aren't timid little doormats. For those of you out of staters, Kearny is right in between Newark and Jersey City. We aren't some hick town churning our own butter. I honestly doubt that any child raised in this area would be too scared to stand up to a teacher who is being offensive every day. From personal experience, I can say this teacher is far from intimidating. Everyone is giving this boy far too much credit, and now because he can't bask in the limelight(as planned) without some opposition along the way everyone is feeling sorry for him and quick to judge an entire town of people because they back the teacher. We are all wrong and this one boy is right???? Come on now...think about it.

And by the way....WAKE UP BLEEDING HEARTS....THERE IS A WAR GOING ON IN IRAQ....our boys are dying everyday...try directing some of your energy towards fighting to bring them home. Stop wasting time on "small town matters"

[Guest Born in Kearny_49 years Proud of]

ALL IS NOT LOST FOR THIS AND THE NEXT GENERATION...THANKS FOR GIVING US HOPE

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I have watched and listened to this topic for over the past two months. Also attended the Kearny town meeting to listen to his egotistical father get up and rant and try to make a name for himself. What you read in the paper is one side of the story. This Matt LaClair is the same individual who when told that he couldn't wear shorts to class came in to school the next day wearing a "skirt". Free speech in important in this world and everyone who reads this blog should really pay close attention as to who is setting the tone of religion for this particular section of the class. It wasn't the teacher. What you are condoning is that every student should attempt to get their teacher to admit to something whether correct or incorrect and then record them so that they can later be prosecuted at a later date without even a trail. Its only a matter of time before Matthew starts actually videoing his twisted web on any subject and getting it on Youtube.com. If you think he is a hero, and giving you hope then you are nothing more that a sheep being led by a wolf. And you know just where he will lead you.

"In my opinion," as Matthew LaClair always like to say is, what the father of this student is attempting is for the Kearny Board of Education or New Jersey Public School System to pay for Matt LaClair to be sent to Private education because his son is no longer safe. And His lawyer father will want one of those two to pay for it. I am sure this is not the end of this. And yet it was Matt or his father who chose to illegally tape and publicly distribute the conversation. What about the rights of the other students on that tape who where recorded illegally.

Judge for yourself and do not be a sheep. He will lead you as he did this teacher over the edge of the cliff.

Stop look and listen to the tape. Be proud of your school, Kearny High School or wherever you attend school, instead of trying to bring it down. Teaching is not easy and no one is ever 100% correct. But they do try and need to be commended. I have spoken with a good amount of students and heard some of their comments and this should never have been taped in the first place. Taping is against school policy.

LITTLE KNOW MATTHEW LACLAIR FACT:

MATT LACLAIR REQUESTED TO HAVE HIS SCHEDULE CHANGED TO GET INTO THIS CLASS IN THE FIRST PLACE. HE NEVER DID SAY THIS FACT DID HE.

He never mentioned this or the fact that his sister also had this teacher and there was never an altercation when she was his student. She is now a freshman in Drew University which is a liberal college so why then Matthew. He is trouble, not your hope.

THINK ABOUT THAT before saving he is giving you all hope.

I have said about enough for now. There is more but enough for now.

[Guest Paul]

He never mentioned this or the fact that his sister also had this teacher and there was never an altercation when she was his student.

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Like most of your post, this is false. Matthew's sister did not have this teacher.

[Guest Paul]

If he were seriously offending anyone other than Matthew, the issue would have been raised long ago. 

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This is exactly the problem, pointed out time and time again, and you just don't see it. This is precisely the problem with a culturally dominant religion forcing its way into a position of dominance in government at any level, including the public schools.

Put the shoe on the other foot. Imagine this was a Muslim teacher telling your mostly Christian kids they belong in hell if they don't reject the false prophet Jesus and convert to Islam.

Be honest, now. Would you still not be offended? Would the teacher have lasted? Be honest.

[Guest Steve_C]

I do not find it acceptable to preach religion in public schools, however this teacher has done more good than harm during the many years he has been teaching.  This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion.  The town of Kearny supports the teacher not because we are all religious freaks from a small town who don't know any better, but because as a whole, he is a good teacher.  If he were seriously offending anyone other than Matthew, the issue would have been raised long ago.  Everyone is saying it takes guts to do what he did, and yes I'm sure it did, however, the rest of the students in Kearny High School aren't timid little doormats.  For those of you out of staters, Kearny is right in between Newark and Jersey City.  We aren't some hick town churning our own butter.  I honestly doubt that any child raised in this area would be too scared to stand up to a teacher who is being offensive every day.  From personal experience, I can say this teacher is far from intimidating.  Everyone is giving this boy far too much credit, and now because he can't bask in the limelight(as planned) without some opposition along the way everyone is feeling sorry for him and quick to judge an entire town of people because they back the teacher.  We are all wrong and this one boy is right????  Come on now...think about it.

And by the way....WAKE UP BLEEDING HEARTS....THERE IS A WAR GOING ON IN IRAQ....our boys are dying everyday...try directing some of your energy towards fighting to bring them home.  Stop wasting time on "small town matters"

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If you have listened to the recordings you would know this teacher isn't "great".

Yes, it does seem that most of the town is wrong and he is right. You all create motivations for him so you can disregard the problem.

The teacher was preaching and lying in class. That's it. Address the problem, not the person who brought it up.

[Guest Guest]

Like most of your post, this is false. Matthew's sister did not have this teacher.

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I guess everyone else lies.

Every post that does not defend Mat and Paul is false.

Only Matt and Paul tells the truth. NOT!!!!

Paul you are going to be exposed for whom you really are. An opportunist!

op·por·tun·ist One who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve an end, often with no regard for principles or consequences.

[Guest Patriot]

I guess everyone else lies.

Every post that does not defend Mat and Paul is false. 

Only Matt and Paul tells the truth. NOT!!!!

Paul you are going to be exposed for whom you really are. An opportunist!

op·por·tun·ist      One who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve an end, often with no regard for principles or consequences.

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Dad and Lad are very busy, basking in the limelight of that left-wing rag, The NY Times. They are on the secularist news tour, being compared to Joan of Ark or Patrick Henry. I think he's going to granted sainthood by the pope, (ooops, scratch that....) and certainly be elected Mayor or even Senator. Rumors that they are enjoying their time in the sun (that's a sun that evolved through natural selection, not intelligent design) and both hope it never ends.

[Ned]

The KOTW discussion seems to be a lot more sensible than the Kearny school board.

Whatever the teacher's good qualities, he does not belong in a public school classroom. It is ridiculous that this stuff still goes on....

[Guest Guest]

I appreciate that, but that wasn't my purpose.

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I know ... like I said, you're just being a proud papa.

[Guest Guest]

I guess everyone else lies.

Every post that does not defend Mat and Paul is false. 

Only Matt and Paul tells the truth. NOT!!!!

Paul you are going to be exposed for whom you really are. An opportunist!

op·por·tun·ist      One who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve an end, often with no regard for principles or consequences.

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OUCH!