CLINTON, Mich. – A recent school board meeting became a forum of debate over the possible firing of a high school teacher refusing to wear a security identification badge on school grounds.
English literature teacher Steve Walters refuses to wear an ID badge on Clinton High School grounds as part of a new school safety policy enacted to minimize unauthorized campus access. At the board meeting Walters argued the badge would make him a “functionary” and “a tool,” taking away his individuality and disrupting the trust between him and his students.
While most of those in the audience supported Walters’ stance and his reputation as an exceptional teacher, members of Clinton police and Jet Emergency and Safety Consulting lent support to Clinton School Board and its safety initiative. Jet Emergency and Safety Consulting originally led the study that demonstrated how easy it was to access district schools without authorization. As a result of its demonstration and studies, as well as input from local law enforcement, new safety policies were adapted, including the ID badges, limited entrance and exit to school buildings, increased use of cameras, and new and improved phone systems and safety manuals.
Still at an impasse, the school board stood firm behind its decision to terminate Walters’ employment if he did not comply with the new policy.