A(nother) Profile in Courage: Leveraging Historical Narrative to Fuel the Fight for Humanity in a "Post-Truth" Era

• In Event: 67.045 - Principled Resistance: How Teachers Resolve Ethical Dilemmas

Abstract

Objective
Historical narratives enhance considerations of approaches to educational work in contemporary political contexts. U.S. Representative John Lewis effectively frames the trajectory of working for justice in a ‘Post-Truth’ era: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime.” Education historian Derrick Aldridge made a similar observation in the wake of the violent 2017 rally in Charlottesville: “…Charlottesville must be understood not as an isolated event, but rather as one battle in the ongoing fight against white supremacy, a struggle that demands our constant vigilance. Each of us has a role to play in this effort, and history can provide insight, serve as a guide, and illuminate our path forward.” The objective of this paper is to examine the historical narrative of Marjorie Rowland’s battle to save her job as a school guidance counselor in the 1970s and 1980s after being fired due to her bisexual status. Rowland’s efforts to speak her truth in a homophobic culture made important gains for the gay rights movement; her actions as a “teacher citizen” may inspire educators challenging injustices of all kinds.

Theoretical Frameworks
This study sits in the context of emerging secondary literature on queer education history, and draws upon feminist/queer theory and queer legal theory to explore the displacement of LGBT educators. I construct a definition of “teacher-citizen” based upon concepts set forth by Clarke (2015) and Haley (1904).

Methods
This is a historical analysis of the origins and outcomes of Rowland v. Mad River Local School Dist.

Data Sources
Primary sources include interviews with Rowland, court records, and news accounts.

Conclusions
Individual LGBT educators began challenging dismissals in court in the 1960s with more cases emerging in the 1970s. Backed by the ACLU and then the NEA, plaintiffs fighting for their jobs tested arguments designed to keep LGBT educators out of schools. These decisions turned on morality and privacy assumptions that had long circumscribed teachers’ employment rights. The reflections Rowland shared about her legal struggles in this context offer insights into the motivations that drive “teacher-citizens,” considerations they must weigh, and strategies they might employ.

Significance
A jury trial found that Rowland’s equal protection and free speech rights had been violated before a divided circuit court overturned the ruling. Rowland appealed to the Supreme Court but the justices voted not to hear the case. Nevertheless, Justice William Brennan’s dissent, the first acknowledgement by a Supreme Court justice that First and Fourteenth Amendment rights extend to homosexuals, established a foundation for the critical victories celebrated by the LGBT community three decades later.

Author

• Karen L. Graves, Denison University