Brookline Students Protest Punishment Of Beloved Teacher
BROOKLINE (CBS) - Walking out of town hall, Larry Chen, a teacher at Driscoll School in Brookline, was serenaded with cheers. He's trying to save his job, and his pupils are furious.
"He teaches with the most passion I have ever seen in a teacher," one student says.
"As soon as I heard I was in tears. It was so devastating to find out that such a beloved teacher could have been taken away from us in that way," says student Maya Sekhar.
An unconventional teacher, Chen has been out of the classroom for a couple of weeks. He was overheard using the longer version of the phrase "BS" in an after-hours conversation with high school students. If there's more to it nobody is saying because of confidentiality.
"We uphold academic freedom and dynamism in the classroom, where the union hopes that teachers are allowed to bring out their very special and rich talents," says Teachers Union President Jessica Wender-Shubow.
Students left class and marched from the school to town hall where they were even joined by parents.
"I want to make sure that this is a fair trial and that he's given a real chance and that people appreciate what an incredible teacher he was and is and we need him back at school teaching our kids," says parent Vanessa Kirsch.
Chen's future has not been decided yet, but he remains optimistic.
"Whatever resolution allows me to get back to these guys as soon as possible," Chen says. "That's what matters."