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Macklemore2.jpg
Seattle rapper Ben Haggerty, known as Macklemore, tackles the dangers of hate and stereotypes by showing the struggle of a homosexual man from birth to death. A Detroit-area teacher was suspended without pay for playing it in class. (Photo courtesy Macklemore.com)

Teacher suspended without pay for playing Macklemore song

November 29, 2012 @ 8:06 am (Updated: 8:49 am - 11/30/12 )

UPDATES 11/30 with Macklemore's response

A performing arts teacher has been suspended without pay for playing a Macklemore song during class.

The Detroit-area middle school teacher allowed a student in her eighth grade performing arts class to play the song "Same Love" which was written in support of same sex marriage.

Seattle rapper Ben Haggerty, known as Macklemore, tackles the dangers of hate and stereotypes by showing the struggle of a homosexual man from birth to death. He even talks about his own struggle wondering if he was homosexual because he had two uncles who were gay and he "kept his room straight."

Susan Johnson hadn't heard the song before the student played it. She did ask him if the song had any profane lyrics. He said no, so she allowed it.

A student in the class was offended by the lyrics and complained to the school principal. Before the school day ended, Johnson claims the principal and assistant superintendent told her she was suspended indefinitely without pay.

"I don't think that it was really even thought through," she told a Detroit TV station "I was paralyzed. I really didn't understand why I was being suspended."

Assistant Superintendent Melissa Baker didn't care to elaborate.

During a closed door meeting, Johnson found out she would be suspended a total of three days, not paid for two.

The district claims the song had controversial content described as "homosexuality, religion, politics views and a sexual slur."

"I'm very disappointed in the bias, the bigotry that I feel that they're really hiding behind," Johnson says.

The ACLU and LGBT support groups are getting involved in an effort to defend the teacher.

On his website, Macklemore posted this response:

I believe that Ms. Johnson getting suspended is completely out of line and unjust. However, I think it's important for moments like these to be exposed and for us to pay attention and respond. This level of intolerance and fear is still very active in America, but at times is not completely visible. This incident is just one of tens of thousands that have happened across the country where schools have exposed a latent homophobia, preventing safe space for all young people to feel confident in being themselves. It's clear that Ms. Johnson felt bullying and "gay bashing" were issues that needed to be addressed, and by doing so, was punished.

I wrote the song "Same Love," not with the expectation that it would cure homophobia and lead to marriage equality across the US (although that'd be awesome). It was written with the hope that it would facilitate dialogue and through those conversations understanding and empathy would emerge. This incident demonstrates how too often we are quick to silence conversations that must be had. Even if people disagree, there is far more potential for progress when people are vocal and honestly expressing their thoughts about gay rights. When we are silent and avoid the issue, fear and hatred have a far greater life span.

It's discouraging that a song about love and civil rights has led to a teacher getting suspended from her job. But that's where we are at. For those of us who get a pit in our stomach when reading a story like this, it just makes it abundantly clear there is far more work to be done.

- Macklemore

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (22)


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  • calapete wrote...
    it's a great song
    November 29, 2012 8:54 am
    This was in some music class I gather? If it was a class on science, then the song is inappropriate, but if its an art class, why censor art? Art is not a crime. To make it even, the teacher can play Ted Nugent. lol.
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  • TLucas wrote...
    Approval Process
    November 29, 2012 9:07 am
    She works for a school district. They have an approval process. I am a volunteer art docent for my child's class and the art that we present has to be approved buy the school board as well as a community group. It is a very involved process. If a student asked to play a song by a christian artist would the reaction be any different from the school board? Parents? ACLU? If the rule is to keep religion out of schools then keep religion bashing out of schools as well.
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  • Dizzle wrote...
    Hunger Games
    November 29, 2012 9:25 am
    If just one student feels offended, someone must be punished?

    OK, let make middle school even more boring and less relevant to students' lives. That'll build a better America.

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  • GloScot wrote...
    Dizzle...
    November 29, 2012 10:49 am
    "If just one student feels offended, someone must be punished?" Yes, isn't that the case in our schools? Someone gets offended and then all hell breaks looks. But it works both ways, doesn't it? How many students and parents have been offended by what they consider to be anti-gay messages and then file suit to go after the hatemonger? Or one person has a problem with Christmas carols and the entire school can't have songs referencing Jesus' birth? Being offended is the sport of our day. The easiest thing to do nowadays is to call a lawyer and create some news instead of just dealing with something in house.
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  • rational wrote...
    Dizzle
    November 29, 2012 5:04 pm
    If just one student feels offended, someone must be punished?

    Yup...that's the standard set by liberals in the US. Odd though...liberals seem to not grasp that others might be offended by their own behaviors and words.

    Too bad we've long since moved away from actually teaching what used to be called reading, writing and arithmatic.

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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Teacher may be out of her element in middle school....
    November 29, 2012 9:36 am
    "Sure, Teach- I promise there are no obscenities in the lyrics."

    Must be the first time ever a middle school kid blindsided a teacher with a stunt of this sort. :-) If the teacher isn't savvy enough to see stuff like this coming, maybe she should move up to high school or down to 4th grade.

    On the school bus, between classes, at lunchtime, etc.... as far as I am concerned the kids can listen to whatever they want. Nobody else usually hears it anyway, since everybody uses headphones anymore. A kid's choice of music should not be anybody's business except his or her own and maybe the parents (but, parents, good luck with that).

    In the classroom, anything presented should have been vetted by the instructor and be part of an organized learning experience. If a song is presented, the teacher should be prepared in advance to lead a discussion about it and otherwise create a functional learning experience. Otherwise, it boils down to, "Hey, we got to play Macklemore in Mrs. Whatchamacallit's class! Wasn't that cool?"

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  • jwithrow wrote...
    I wonder
    November 29, 2012 10:16 am
    if everyone would still be outraged if the teacher was suspended for allowing a song against same-sex marriage was played in her classroom? Or would people laud the school district for swiftly dealing with bigotry? Free speech is only valuable if we allow all sides to be heard.
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  • rational wrote...
    jwithrow
    November 30, 2012 6:24 am
    So did the teacher have someone perform a song against same sex marriage? Thought not...funny how the left always defends their hate speech by denouncing the hate speech they see in others.

    I would point out, this is a school...how about not turn it into a stage and actually teach real subjects...you know, the ones that our education system is failing to teach while they are busy attempting to shape citizens instead of teach science, math, history and english.

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  • DonVigo wrote...
    Glad I don't live...
    November 29, 2012 10:18 am
    ... In the moral grey area that is being a teacher. One one hand, I'm a member of the Seattle (Everett) hip-hop community. I was lucky enough to see Macklemore live in about 2005, and was hooked by the depth of his lyrics instantly. The album he had out at the time has a track titled "White Privelege" which was one of the first songs I've ever heard; if not one of the only that tackled the topic of Caucasains' place in a tradionally "Black" form of music. Since then, he's evolved and continued to focus on some topics that most rappers would shy away from. Prior to the new album "The Heist" coming out Macklemore released a track called "Wings" which points out the downside to being obsessed with material goods such as a pair of Jordans. Very seldom would anyone in our community have the courage to speak out against one of the larger icons of the scene. As such, I've developed more respect and admiration for him than most others. He's a great role model, and I personally would love it if I had a child in eighth grade that became aware of the ideas he presents. However, being a teacher in the world we live in, exposing kids to something that I find to be so good also runs the risk of offending parents who disagree. It's a shame the punishment had to be so heavy, but understandable that the district would overreact that way. The potential backlash over something so simple as a song about a contrivercial topic would be a lot to worry about from an administrative level. Again, I'm really thankful not to be in such a position. The punishment seems harsh, but even as a Macklemore fan, the cause is understandable.
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  • rational wrote...
    DonVigo
    November 30, 2012 8:04 am
    I appreciate your thoughtful post. I've never heard of this guy until this story. Not much into rap, but sounds like he's expanded a bit on the subject matter. Perhaps the punishment was excessive.

    I can say from personal experience, it is unpleasant in that moral gray area...I'd worked on a masters in education with the intention of teaching...finances and leftist political idealogy that was presented as the way to teach disuaded me from continuing that career path. It's sad that the left has so dominiated the field of education that one has to toe their political line to avoid obstacles in the field. It's all very McCarthy like...are you or have you ever been a conservative?

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  • Eric77 wrote...
    The Next Battlefield!
    November 29, 2012 11:12 am
    I'm sure this teacher will be held up as a martyr by the homosexual community. Now that they have gay marriage, the next battlefield will be the schools--I've said all along that this about acceptance-not equality. Now they will want their lifestyle taught in the schools and will fight for acceptance there. They want to force us to teach our children about their choices and approve them for the schoolroom--this is not the end of this issue.
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  • hedujg26 wrote...
    The teacher was lazy..
    November 29, 2012 12:47 pm
    The teacher should have been suspended for lack of professionalism. She should have screened the song and not listen to a student's word on it. She was lazy, got but in the as, and now wants to hide it behind the spectre of "bigotry". doesn't matter the number it made on Billboard of the popularity of the artist. You don't have a student read a book or watch a movie without knowing whats in it. Same for the song. Lazy teacher.
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  • roomtemp wrote...
    I'm not seeing it...
    November 29, 2012 4:25 pm
    I'll fully admit to being a pop culture novice. (Always have been, never much cared what everybody else was doing. I don't follow the herd.) So, having never heard the song, I gave it a listen.

    Yeah, there are a couple of digs on conservatives in there but so what? I didn't hear anything I would consider that controversial. Even though I consider myself conservative in most things I wasn't offended by the song. As a song, it was kinda 'meh' but that's opinion and beside the point.

    It just seems like political correctness run amok again to me. By the eighth grade I think exposing kids to a little controversy can be a good thing. That's about the time the veil of protection from everything should begin lifting and they can start making up their own minds about issues. Teenagers aren't made of porcelain. I'd rather expose them to more than less. I don't want to ban Christmas or Macklemore.

    There are no constitutional guarantees against being offended. People need to grow some thicker skins and understand the nature of freedom.

    I don't think the teacher should have been suspended for not running the song past the political correctness committee...

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  • rational wrote...
    roomtemp
    November 30, 2012 8:08 am
    There are no constitutional guarantees against being offended. People need to grow some thicker skins and understand the nature of freedom.

    While I agree with you I must point out that the left does not agree with that view. So if the left expects everyone to live up to their standards than it's only reasonable to expect they live up to their own standards as well...although I know the defining trait of a liberal is hypocrisy.

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  • studio wrote...
    crying?
    January 21, 2013 8:02 pm
    what on earth is the student doing to walk out of that classroom and report their offended sensibilities to the school authorities???? what a tool. good luck in the real world, champ. you will get eaten alive. i mean jeeezzz. agree or disagree, get involved in a debate or something. report it to the authorities? if i reported every instance of me being offended each day.... goodness. unbelievable.
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