School Lessons
Tim Speyer
Helena, Montana
School Lessons, 2007
Mixed media
A 1992 event was the genesis for this project. I was a third-grade teacher in rural Montana. An incident happened in the classroom where I turned a misbehaving child around in his seat. This child, at that moment, perceived that he had been “inappropriately touched in a sexual manner.” Reporting the incident to the bus driver, this allegation eventually led to an investigation by the school district into whether these charges were indeed true.
This was exacerbated by the “perception” in the school and community that I was gay. As a lifelong heterosexual male, I knew the charges and incident were totally fabricated and without merit. Even though all allegations were eventually dismissed, I was told that the perception (that I was gay) was just as harmful as being gay, and it was in my best interests to work diligently to change that perception.
This was my first experience encountering discrimination and bigotry in the Montana Public Schools. This project is an attempt to focus on much of the bigotry I encountered in my job as a schoolteacher over the years. I find it sad that colleagues in my school system still keep their sexual orientation secret for fear of retribution from staff, parents, and students. Students from Helena High School who participated in this project, and whose work is a part of this book, include: Metta Hallian, Rachael Jones, Katrina Fisher, Lindsey Redmond, Sara Gonzales, and Aaron West. Teachers include me, Angie Susag, and anonymous individuals who fear having their names publicly associated with this project.
Bio
Tim Speyer’s career has touched down in many different fields. Over the years, he has been an interpretive naturalist, school teacher, artist, and community activist. His own artwork is a mixed bag, consisting of cloth-mâché creatures, multimedia boxes, stone carvings, and hand-built ceramics.