Broncos fan says he was humiliated by teacher

[Doomsday101]

BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (AP) -- A 17-year-old high school student said he was humiliated when a teacher made him sit on the floor during a midterm exam in his ethnicity class -- for wearing a Denver Broncos jersey.

The teacher, John Kelly, forced Joshua Vannoy to sit on the floor and take the test Friday -- two days before the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Broncos 34-17 in the AFC championship game. Kelly also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy, whom he called a "stinking Denver fan," Vannoy told The Associated Press on Monday.

Kelly said Vannoy, a junior at Beaver Area Senior High School, just didn't get the joke.

"If he felt uncomfortable, then that's a lesson; that's what [the class] is designed to do," Kelly told The Denver Post. "It was silly fun. I can't believe he was upset."

Vannoy was wearing a No. 7 Broncos jersey on Friday, because he is a fan of John Elway, the Broncos' retired Hall of Fame quarterback.

Vannoy said he was so unnerved he left at least 20 questions blank on the 60-question test, and just wants out of Kelly's class because he's afraid the teacher won't treat him fairly now that the story reached the media.

"I'm going to have to deal with him for two more nine weeks [school quarters] and he's going to want revenge somehow," Vannoy said Monday. "I took the test. I'm shaking. I'm furious. I didn't know what to do."

Kelly, who wore a Ben Roethlisberger jersey Friday, and his principal, Thomas Karczewski, didn't immediately return messages left on their school voice mail Monday.

Big Beaver Falls Area School District Superintendent Donna Nugent said she was aware of the situation, but said confidentiality rules prevent her from commenting specifically.

"We'll take whatever action we need to in order for the student to feel comfortable," Nugent said.

 

[Doomsday101]

This is just wrong, I could understand it if the kid wore a Commanders jersey. LOL

 

[1fisher]

BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (AP) -- A 17-year-old high school student said he was humiliated when a teacher made him sit on the floor during a midterm exam in his ethnicity class -- for wearing a Denver Broncos jersey.

The teacher, John Kelly, forced Joshua Vannoy to sit on the floor and take the test Friday -- two days before the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Broncos 34-17 in the AFC championship game. Kelly also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy, whom he called a "stinking Denver fan," Vannoy told The Associated Press on Monday.

Kelly said Vannoy, a junior at Beaver Area Senior High School, just didn't get the joke.

"If he felt uncomfortable, then that's a lesson; that's what [the class] is designed to do," Kelly told The Denver Post. "It was silly fun. I can't believe he was upset."

Vannoy was wearing a No. 7 Broncos jersey on Friday, because he is a fan of John Elway, the Broncos' retired Hall of Fame quarterback.

Vannoy said he was so unnerved he left at least 20 questions blank on the 60-question test, and just wants out of Kelly's class because he's afraid the teacher won't treat him fairly now that the story reached the media.

"I'm going to have to deal with him for two more nine weeks [school quarters] and he's going to want revenge somehow," Vannoy said Monday. "I took the test. I'm shaking. I'm furious. I didn't know what to do."

Kelly, who wore a Ben Roethlisberger jersey Friday, and his principal, Thomas Karczewski, didn't immediately return messages left on their school voice mail Monday.

Big Beaver Falls Area School District Superintendent Donna Nugent said she was aware of the situation, but said confidentiality rules prevent her from commenting specifically.

"We'll take whatever action we need to in order for the student to feel comfortable," Nugent said.

That was ignorant of the teacher to do that...... The way things are today you can expect a lawsuit! Suppose the kid had thrown a book at him for making him sit in the floor?? Humiliate me.... I humiliate you!!!!!

 

[Doomsday101]

That was ignorant of the teacher to do that...... The way things are today you can expect a lawsuit! Suppose the kid had thrown a book at him for making him sit in the floor?? Humiliate me.... I humiliate you!!!!!

As hot tempered as I was at that age that teacher would have had to get help pulling a text book out of his ars.

 

[Chuck 54]

What kind of ***** 17 year old doesn't simply, but politely refuse to sit on the floor....period, end of discussion. That would end the teacher's joke, because the teacher knows he can't legally insist.

It's the same with a kid asking to use the restroom, but if the kid says he has to go and walks out without permission, there can be no punishment. The kid has rights...this isn't the old days...a teacher is not the ultimate authority any longer, especially on meaningless issues.

 

[superpunk]

Well, it was an ethnicity class, so I'm thinking the teacher was trying to make some point about discrimination or something. Not the best way to go about it, I guess.

 

[Doomsday101]

What kind of ***** 17 year old doesn't simply, but politely refuse to sit on the floor....period, end of discussion. That would end the teacher's joke, because the teacher knows he can't legally insist.

It's the same with a kid asking to use the restroom, but if the kid says he has to go and walks out without permission, there can be no punishment. The kid has rights...this isn't the old days...a teacher is not the ultimate authority any longer, especially on meaningless issues.

I agree this kid better grow a backbone before heading out in the real world.

 

[gbrittain]

Without having been there of course, I would assume the teacher was just joking with the guy and thought that the guy was going along. No harm no foul, until the sensitive one decides he was humiliated.

I dont know, I have a hard time believing the teacher took football so serious that he took it out on a student.

 

[Doomsday101]

Without having been there of course, I would assume the teacher was just joking with the guy and thought that the guy was going along. No harm no foul, until the sensitive one decides he was humiliated.

I dont know, I have a hard time believing the teacher took football so serious that he took it out on a student.

Kelly also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy, whom he called a "stinking Denver fan," Vannoy told The Associated Press on Monday.

I guess you could handle public humilation better than I could.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Ain't that nice?

 

[Hostile]

Well, it was an ethnicity class, so I'm thinking the teacher was trying to make some point about discrimination or something. Not the best way to go about it, I guess.

I'm with you. Make the point but make sure you teach the fact that there is a point to make.

My problem with it is this though. Mr. Vannoy obviously would get the lesson that being different made him a target. The rest of the class learned it was okay to target someone.

Bad example Teach.

 

[TheHustler]

Thats ridiculous.

Teacher needs to get fired.

 

[TheHustler]

Apparently the student DID try to sit at a desk...


Teacher's true colors definitely not orange, blue
By Julianne Bentley
Denver Post Staff Writer


Joshua Vannoy, 17, says he was humiliated in class. (Courtesy of Vannoy family)

Embracing diversity and practicing tolerance had been mainstays of Joshua Vannoy's Pittsburgh-area high school ethnicity class - until the student wore his Denver Broncos jersey to school.

A die-hard Steelers fan and teacher at Beaver Falls High School made Vannoy, 17, take a midterm test on the floor because he was sporting a John Elway No. 7 jersey. The honors ethnic relations teacher had Vannoy sit in a circle of desks, then instructed his classmates to throw paper at him.

The treatment wasn't part of any classroom lesson, his teacher says. He had warned students before not to wear another team's jersey in his classroom.

"I was humiliated and shaking. I couldn't finish my test," said Vannoy, a Broncos fan even though he's a native of Pittsburgh Steelers country.

Teacher John Kelly thought he was "just messing around" with Vannoy, telling him he couldn't sit at any desk in his class Friday.

Vannoy said Kelly grabbed him by the neck of his jersey when he tried to sit in his chair and told him he would give him a zero on the exam if he didn't sit on the floor. Kelly told the 12 other students that part of their midterm was that they had to throw paper at "the stinking Denver fan" - or lose points, he added.

"Some threw the paper at me, some threw it at the ground," Vannoy said.

Kelly said he didn't threaten Vannoy's grade or grab his shirt. He said that he told students to do those things but that nobody took it seriously.

Advertisement


"When you are joking and everyone's laughing, it's obvious," Kelly said.

And it's not the first time Kelly has employed the tactic. "I did the same thing last week with one of my ninth-graders who wore Peyton Manning," Kelly said of the Indianapolis Colts quarterback.

Principal Thomas Karczewski said a concerned Vannoy later came to his office. Although Vannoy is probably "the only Denver fan in the entire school," Karczewski said he was sure Kelly had no intent to harm him and that it was a joke that went too far. He plans to talk to the teacher Monday, Karczewski said.

"If he felt uncomfortable, then that's a lesson; that's what (the class) is designed to do," Kelly said. "It was silly fun. I can't believe he was upset."

Vannoy's mother, Virginia, is worried her son will get a lower grade in the class. She wants him to be able to retake the exam.

 

[Chuck 54]

Apparently the student DID try to sit at a desk...


Teacher's true colors definitely not orange, blue
By Julianne Bentley
Denver Post Staff Writer


Joshua Vannoy, 17, says he was humiliated in class. (Courtesy of Vannoy family)

Embracing diversity and practicing tolerance had been mainstays of Joshua Vannoy's Pittsburgh-area high school ethnicity class - until the student wore his Denver Broncos jersey to school.

A die-hard Steelers fan and teacher at Beaver Falls High School made Vannoy, 17, take a midterm test on the floor because he was sporting a John Elway No. 7 jersey. The honors ethnic relations teacher had Vannoy sit in a circle of desks, then instructed his classmates to throw paper at him.

The treatment wasn't part of any classroom lesson, his teacher says. He had warned students before not to wear another team's jersey in his classroom.

"I was humiliated and shaking. I couldn't finish my test," said Vannoy, a Broncos fan even though he's a native of Pittsburgh Steelers country.

Teacher John Kelly thought he was "just messing around" with Vannoy, telling him he couldn't sit at any desk in his class Friday.

Vannoy said Kelly grabbed him by the neck of his jersey when he tried to sit in his chair and told him he would give him a zero on the exam if he didn't sit on the floor. Kelly told the 12 other students that part of their midterm was that they had to throw paper at "the stinking Denver fan" - or lose points, he added.

"Some threw the paper at me, some threw it at the ground," Vannoy said.

Kelly said he didn't threaten Vannoy's grade or grab his shirt. He said that he told students to do those things but that nobody took it seriously.

Advertisement


"When you are joking and everyone's laughing, it's obvious," Kelly said.

And it's not the first time Kelly has employed the tactic. "I did the same thing last week with one of my ninth-graders who wore Peyton Manning," Kelly said of the Indianapolis Colts quarterback.

Principal Thomas Karczewski said a concerned Vannoy later came to his office. Although Vannoy is probably "the only Denver fan in the entire school," Karczewski said he was sure Kelly had no intent to harm him and that it was a joke that went too far. He plans to talk to the teacher Monday, Karczewski said.

"If he felt uncomfortable, then that's a lesson; that's what (the class) is designed to do," Kelly said. "It was silly fun. I can't believe he was upset."

Vannoy's mother, Virginia, is worried her son will get a lower grade in the class. She wants him to be able to retake the exam.

Wow...thanks for the article...I now have no doubt the teacher is in very serious jeopardy of losing his job. AT my school, if you lay hands on a kid, it had better be to protect yourself or someone else, or you're gone. I'm surprised that teacher didn't get his butt kicked.

He's in trouble on so many issues that have nothing to do with the humiliation...putting his hands on a student, having other students throw paper at him as part of their exam grade, on and on. What a dufus.

I would have expected my own 18 year old son to walk out and directly to the principal.

 

[BAZ]

Teacher does need to get fired, no way he was trying to make a good point during an exam. If that was done to your kid would you think he was soft for going along with it?

Picture if it was your kid in Commander country and that happened to him during an exam. Things were thrown at him and the teacher encouraged everybody to call him a stinking Dallas fan. How would that make you feel?

As for the kid growing a backbone - he did go to the school wearing a Bronco's jersey so I doubt he has no backbone at all, maybe just got intimidated by his teacher.

 

[Chuck 54]

I'm with you. Make the point but make sure you teach the fact that there is a point to make.

My problem with it is this though. Mr. Vannoy obviously would get the lesson that being different made him a target. The rest of the class learned it was okay to target someone.

Bad example Teach.

If he really wanted to teach the lesson, he should have taken them on a field trip to a Philly game wearing Cowboys jerseys...then they'd understand prejudice, harrassment, and mob mentality.

 

[JackMagist]

The kid is a wuss and the teacher is an idiot. Sounds like that Wrestling Coach and the kid with bleached hair from the movie The Pacifier. Too bad there was no Vin Diesel around to handle it.

The idiot teacher needs his arse properly kicked but in this day and age you can't do that any more than he should have been able to do what he did. So I guess there will just have to be a lawsuit over it; that is how we settle our fights now days.

 

[BAZ]

The kid is a wuss and the teacher is an idiot.

How is the kid a wuss. The teacher grabbed him by his collar and threated to fail him. He went to the principle after the test. I don't think that makes him a wuss.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

Without having been there of course, I would assume the teacher was just joking with the guy and thought that the guy was going along. No harm no foul, until the sensitive one decides he was humiliated.

I dont know, I have a hard time believing the teacher took football so serious that he took it out on a student.

I doubt you've dealt with the Appalachian-influenced mentality of Pittsburgh suburbs if you believe that this teacher was "just joking".

Imagine Hooterville with a McDonalds and you have Beaver Falls.

 

[gbrittain]

Kelly also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy, whom he called a "stinking Denver fan," Vannoy told The Associated Press on Monday.

I guess you could handle public humilation better than I could.

Maybe so, I have been through Basic Training, Advanced Individual Training, and Officer Candidate School. People do tend to be a little sensitive sometimes.

I think the point is though that none of us were there. This teacher could be a total jerk, or the teacher could have innocently been joking around with the kid and the kid going along with it as well but changed his tune after the fact.

I am not going to throw the teacher to the wolves until some more facts come out.