A teacher has been put on paid administrative leave after reportedly calling a 12-year-old girl a “sassy slut.”
That's right -- call an adolescent misogynistic names in front of her peers, get a paid week off work.
To apply a word like “slut” to a child barely old enough to menstruate speaks volumes about the way some - for instance, this teacher - think about women, women's sexuality and women's 'place' in the world. Why not simply, ‘brat’ if a derogatory term were in order? Not to advocate that teachers go around taking their stress out on their charges, but why the word choice here?
From a young age, girls are taught where they stand in the world. This is more subtly done, now. But word choice matters. One blogger has even been trying to promote the Ban Bossy campaign because of the double-standards of the language. Girls are "bossy" whereas their male classmates are "assertive."
Even dress codes can set double-standards.
Recently in Evanston, Ill. there was wide-debate surrounding Haven Middle school's dress code which appeared to ban girls from wearing leggings. Some parent's complained that the dress code was also unfairly enforced. The school has since decided against the ban, but the girls still are required to wear shorts or skirts over their leggings.
Adolescents learn by observation. So, what is the greater impact when girls who are still growing into themselves and figuring out where they fit in, are called bossy, distracting sluts before they can even get their ears pierced?
Let's all just go buy some GoldieBlox blocks.
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