The Oregon student teacher fired for
discussing gay marriage with a fourth-grader will get his job back,
MSNBC reported.
Seth Stambaugh was fired for answering
a fourth-grade student's question about his marital status.
Stambaugh told the student that he could not marry because it would
be illegal for him to marry a man, and answered in the affirmative
when the student asked him if he hanged out with guys.
Stambaugh, a student at Lewis &
Clark Graduate School of Education, was notified on September 15 that
he would not be allowed back to teach at Sexton Mountain Elementary
School following a complaint by a parent. He said he was only told
that his comments were “inappropriate.”
“Mr. Stambaugh is joyous beyond
belief,” Stambaugh's lawyer Lake Perriguey said. “He is
celebrating privately with friends and family and will make a public
statement to all media in the next few days.”
Stambaugh is expected to return to his
position next Thursday.
In a letter in support of Stambaugh,
twenty-two parents of students at the school said he had a “positive
rapport” with his students.