CHARLESTOWN, N.H. – A 79-year-old substitute teacher quit her job after her bosses ordered her to delete thousands of students from her Facebook page.
The New Hampshire Union Leader reported Carol Thebarge left Stevens High School after working as a paraprofessional and substitute teacher for 35 years.
“Today will be my last day at Stevens High,” Thebarge said, in a Facebook announcement. “I was given an ultimatum; to either delete every student from my Facebook page and do not post pictures of them, or be terminated.”
She said the ultimatum came after a math teacher was recently charged with sexual assault on a 14-year-old girl in his classroom.
She said she started deleting students, but stopped after about 50 when she had students start asking her what they did wrong.
Thebarge said some students have seen her Facebook page as a place where they can send private messages about being bullied or feeling depressed.
Thebarge said she has had a wonderful career and did not want things to end this way.
“In truth, being a caring, lovely woman doesn’t give you immunity to ignore a school board policy that’s designed to protect everyone,” the school superintendent said.
