THE WITCH HUNT against Hackney head teacher Jane Brown, over her refusal to let children see a performance of 'Romeo and Juliet', is disgusting.
Hackney council - rushing to dump their 'loony left' reputation by sacrificing a ritual victim - have played into the hands of homophobic witchhunters by rushing to denounce her.
But they have been rebuffed by parents of children at Kingsmead School and by all but one of the school's governors, who have withstood the frenzied smears in the media and stood firm in defence of a head teacher who has saved the school from closure.
One of the reasons Jane Brown advanced for refusing only f6 including post & packing. Make cheques to SOCIALIST OUTLOOK and send to PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU to let the children see the play - that it was simply a heterosexual love story - was mildly eccentric. But it was motivated by something positive - the need for children to be educated about different sexual orientations.
Parents and governors
were also swayed by Jane Brown's explanation that the ballet performance she rejected was not 'tree', but would have cost £7 per child, a lot for working class parents. In addition, there would have been the costs and staffing problems of transporting children half way across London to the theatre and back.
If council leaders - seeking support from Tory Education secretary John Patten - get their way, Jane Brown could. lose her job and have her career wrecked. The only people to benefit from this would be the Tories and the bigots.
The case has been used to John Patten: back to bigotry unleash a wave of homophobia and anti-lesbian hysteria.
Witch-hunters in chief have included LBC/Sun commentator Richard Littleiohn and whacky education minister John Patten who says that people 'over-react to "politically incorrect phrases like "little Black Sambo'!
Reactionary war The attack on Jane Brown is part of the reactionary war being waged against 'political correctness' by the racist and homophobic right wing.
It's not just a war against anti-racism and anti-sexism, it's also a war against progressive education and radical teachers.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 56, February 5 1994, Page 3