...for sabotaging a high school student council presidential election? Seems rather, oh I dunno...petty and trivial. A suspension at worst, perhaps, I'd imagine. I know he was technically not fired but asked to resign, but let's face it -- it's basically the same thing (it's just a more polite version of being fired).
shareHe made some very poor and downright bad decisions. As Dumbledore said, it is our choices which determine who we are. I just couldn't get over Jim's stupidity and unprofessionalism. I was horrified that he would throw his class a pop quiz and leave them unattended so he could spend the time preparing for an illicit affair. It also seems to me as if a light would have clicked in his head when he went over to Linda's house at 3:25 and the house was abandoned: she changed her mind! But, no. He tries to track her down, then goes and waits at the motel all evening.
And not only did he sabotage the election, but he lied about it and tried to blame the mistake on a student! No, they could not keep him on there while maintaining the integrity of the school. Jim threw away all his respect and authority with the action of throwing away those two ballots.
And then to throw his drink at her limo. What kind of control did she have over him?
One of the teachers in my high school was getting funny with some students but they were male, rather than female, so he was isolated from the student body by being made to take a higher-paid job over in administration. Sort of a Hollywood punishment.
shareOff cause not. That is why he quits in the movie, no one can fire him. His reason for trowing 2 votes out, was that Flick slept with his best friend, while they were working together. So he tried to make her loose, so she wouldn't come on to him. In the beginning of the movie she did say something to him of this sort: "working REALLY close together after I win the election".
And even without this explanation he would not get fired. It is just a silly and meaningless election without any money involved in it.
Even though Jim was the principal's pet, his actions demonstrated a lack of honesty and professionalism. If he did not resign or was not asked to, a compromise could have been reached that he was no longer going to be involved in student government.
The only problem is the negative publicity once Tracy and her mother took their logical next step. They might be able to convince an attorney that Jim had it in for Tracy because he recruited Paul to run against her, accused her of tearing down the posters(which she did, but he had no proof)and then discarded enough votes to ensure that Paul would win.
It seems like either the school is prestigious, or principal Lewis runs a tight ship. Given the amount of activities the school has and it is in Omaha, it could be quite large. Also, Tracy's mum had sent her to it. I have a feeling that she wouldn't have just dumped her in anywhere, even if it did seem to look on the tired side.
When Tammy was rebelling against the system and in his words, being "embarrassing", Lewis was looking for a way to kick her out. More forgiving principals would have tried to put her into counselling, or at least discussed the conduct with her. None of that was seen.
He could well have been concerned that if Jim's conduct came out, so would have the whole story- including Dave sleeping with Tracy. It would be a bad look. Even at a superficial level, if Principal Lewis was a no-nonsense person, he may just have wanted to prevent the creep of that sort of environment at all costs.
Jim had withheld information from the school about Dave's conduct, which the school may or may not have known about. It could have been that Jim was in the meeting with Dave when the card was discussed for moral support. But it had pulled Jim into an ugly mess, a mess Jim worsened through his vindictive conduct.
The only problem is the negative publicity once Tracy and her mother took their logical next step. They might be able to convince an attorney that Jim had it in for Tracy because he recruited Paul to run against her, accused her of tearing down the posters(which she did, but he had no proof)and then discarded enough votes to ensure that Paul would win.
I'm a teacher and student government advisor at a small middle school. I can say that if the election was rigged that it would be conduct unbecoming of a teacher, and that would violate my contract, and I would be asked to resign.
However, my second year at this school, I was going over the student council votes with the principal and for vice president, the race was very close. She wanted one student to win, and I would have been happy with either of them. She told me to just announce the one she wanted to win as the winner, even though the other kid won. I told her that wouldn't be fair, so she told me to announce it as a tie, and have two vice presidents. Thats what I did, and it was good. I couldn't help but think of this movie when it happened, and the stink that could have occurred. I didn't want to take something from the kid who won, but I had to follow instructions, so it worked out for the best. In caae you're wondering the principal retired this year, and it couldn't have happened soon enough.
They may not fire him at first, but when the media got hold of the story, public/popular outrage would force their hand and he'd be fired. You see that kind of thing all the time.
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"Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the antidote to shame."
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It was weird that the union didn't take up his case.
shareIt was weird that the union didn't take up his case.