How Stupid Can People Get? This Stupid: Florida Teacher Accused Of Wizardry
May 7th 2008 08:27
I really wish I was joking about this but I am not. A substitute teacher in Land O’Lakes Florida has been sacked after being accused of practising wizardry. Yes, you read right: wizardry. This is the year 2008. And this man has been accused of being a wizard.
So what did this hapless fool do? Did he whiz about the school playground on his broomstick? Did he turn one of his students into a toad? Did he free a magic sword from a 500 year old piece of granite?
No. He performed a magic trick with a toothpick in front of his primary school students.
From local6 news:
"LAND 'O LAKES, Fla. -- A substitute teacher in Pasco County has lost his job after being accused of wizardry.
Teacher Jim Piculas does a magic trick where a toothpick disappears and then reappears.
Piculas recently did the 30-second trick in front of a classroom at Rushe Middle School in Land 'O Lakes.
Piculas said he then got a call from the supervisor of teachers, saying he'd been accused of wizardry.
"I get a call the middle of the day from head of supervisor of substitute teachers. He says, 'Jim, we have a huge issue, you can't take any more assignments you need to come in right away,'" he said.
Piculas said he did not know f (sic) any other accusations that would have led to the action.
The teacher said he is concerned that the incident may prevent him from getting future jobs.”
Teacher Jim Piculas does a magic trick where a toothpick disappears and then reappears.
Piculas recently did the 30-second trick in front of a classroom at Rushe Middle School in Land 'O Lakes.
Piculas said he then got a call from the supervisor of teachers, saying he'd been accused of wizardry.
"I get a call the middle of the day from head of supervisor of substitute teachers. He says, 'Jim, we have a huge issue, you can't take any more assignments you need to come in right away,'" he said.
Piculas said he did not know f (sic) any other accusations that would have led to the action.
The teacher said he is concerned that the incident may prevent him from getting future jobs.”
If your chin has just hit the floor with an almighty thud, trust me, you are not the only one. I've just gaffer taped mine back together, but it still wants to drag along the floorboards. Seriously, I am slobbering all over myself, I am that slack-jawed. Just totally flabbergasted. Is superstition and fear this rife, in this supposed age of science and reason, that a teacher loses his job because some parents and/or other teachers think magic tricks performed with toothpicks of all things, are apparently a sign of the devil? In the Western world?
Tampa Bays10 adds to the story:
"Tampa Bay's 10 talked to the assistant superintendent with the Pasco County School District who said it wasn't just the wizardry and that Piculas had other performance issues, including "not following lesson plans" and allowing students to play on unapproved computers.
Piculas said he knew nothing about the accusations.
"That... I think was embellished after the fact to try to cover what initially what they were saying to me," he said.
After the magic trick, Rushe's principal requested Piculas be dismissed. Now, Piculas believes the incident may have bewitched his ability to get a job anywhere else.
"I still have no idea what my discipline involves because I've never received anything from the school district actually saying what it entails," said Piculas.
As a substitute teacher, the Pasco County School District considers Piculas to be an "at will employee." That means the district doesn't need to have cause for not bringing him back at all".
Piculas said he knew nothing about the accusations.
"That... I think was embellished after the fact to try to cover what initially what they were saying to me," he said.
After the magic trick, Rushe's principal requested Piculas be dismissed. Now, Piculas believes the incident may have bewitched his ability to get a job anywhere else.
"I still have no idea what my discipline involves because I've never received anything from the school district actually saying what it entails," said Piculas.
As a substitute teacher, the Pasco County School District considers Piculas to be an "at will employee." That means the district doesn't need to have cause for not bringing him back at all".
Phew! What a relief, wizardry wasn’t the only reason for his dismissal. Well, that's infinitely more reasonable then isn’t it? I mean if wizardry was the only reason, I might be fooled into thinking this poor man was the victim of a modern day witch-hunt.
Oh look, there goes Goody Proctor with the devil! Someone call the hangman please…
Ruby
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Seriously, shit America is weird.
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Cheryl, we're not all crazy!
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is it just because its wizardry during work hours when he should be focussed on other more important topics? like sex ed perhaps? haha
this blog is always entertaining!
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We spend a great deal of time worrying about license tags for our cars with the Confederate Battle Flag, even though many of us acknowledge that the South lost that war, cannot re-count ballots and get the same result each time and have really big bugs and lousy bagels.
Really Long Link .
I wrote on another site,
At least this teacher wasn’t seducing his or her students and hadn’t hung bull testicles on the blackboard!
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Apparently Land-o-Lakes residents were unaware of our teacher's exchange program with Hogwarts.
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I happen to be a wizard!
And I live in Florida!
And I'm studying to be a teacher!
I"m screwed.
Comment by Anonymous
Honestly... wow.
Criss Angel must be the second comming then. Look. He can walk on water.