Guardian U.K. story sparks world-wide outrage over suspended teacher.

Suzanne Goldenberg's recent report in the The Guardian , chronicles the unprecedented 18-month suspension received by 27-year veteran english teacher Connie Heermann, for using The Freedom Writers Diary book in her classroom. The story was also covered by The Telegraph (U.K.)

The Perry Township School Board, as a result of this story and others, has received hundreds of emails and letters from around the world -- protesting what local teachers' union president Terry Rice has called, "cruel and unusual punishment...a non-decision, that is no decision at all."

Perry Township School Board President Steve Maple acknowledges the many hundreds of emails of protest in a local WISH-TV report by Leslie Olsen -- but then offers no further comment. (See link below.)

Goldenberg's story sparked wide protest in the U.K., Europe and the world. Her story and others casts the state of Indiana as an educationally backward and tyrannical state, unfriendly to innovative, caring teachers. Blogs in France, Korea, China, Argentina and England have protested the suspension. Maple says he feels the board is being misrepresented by the media.

The local teachers union is investigating whether to take Ms. Heermann's unfair board hearing a step further -- to federal court, since, even with three new board members, the board has not reversed or mitigated the extremely long sentence.

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2288658,00.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/2238293/Teacher-suspended-for-reading-book-that-became-Hilary-Swank-film-to-pupils.html

http://www.wishtv.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=2708996&h1=Suspended%20teacher%20making%20international%20headlines&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=150233&LaunchPageAdTag