things that matter

This Nursing Student Sued Her College because Her Classmates Spoke Spanish

By October 20, 2015 at 5:54 pm

This is Terri Bennett, a former nursing student at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona.

Terry Bennett Pima Community College

Bennett says she was wrongly suspended from school in 2013 after she complained that her classmates were speaking Spanish.

sloth-more

So Bennett sued Pima Community College for “violating her rights” as an English speaker.

cruz-beanie-reax

America Ferrera Responds to the #LatinaFey Challenge by Throwing Some Expert Shade

So what the hell happened?

Screen Shot 2015-10-20 at 3.51.51 PM

According to Bennett, several of her classmates spoke Spanish during class – some translating for others – which made for an unproductive learning environment. So Bennett eventually spoke to the director of the nursing program to complain that her “education was being impeded by the constant disruption” of students speaking Spanish. Bennett claims she was then suspended for her complaints. In her lawsuit, Bennett claimed that PCC was violating an Arizona law that requires all public officials to be proficient in English.

But Pima Community College officials had a completely different story.

dv-small-slide

Credit: Pima Community College

PCC officials said the suspension wasn’t a matter of a simple complaint. According to the Arizona Daily Star, the college presented evidence during the trial that showed Bennett was harassing fellow students, calling them “spics, beaners and illegals.” Bennett also confronted another student and said: “This is America. You’re not in Mexico. Speak English.”

After hearing all the evidence, the jury in the case ruled in favor of Pima Community College, and Bennett was ordered to pay $110,000 in legal fees for PCC.

giphy-2

“You can’t go around as a college telling people they can’t speak their own language,” said Pima Community College’s lawyer, Georgia Staton.

Does this story piss you off? Share with your friends and let ’em know how you feel by clicking on the share button below!

Tags:

NFL Players are Now Practicing One of Soccer's Oldest Rituals

Entertainment

NFL Players are Now Practicing One of Soccer’s Oldest Rituals

By Omar Villegas October 20, 2015 at 7:12 pm

If you watch soccer, there’s a decades-long tradition that usually happens after the referee’s final whistle.

arg-gemrnay

Aside from players and coaches occasionally confronting sketchy referees…

referee-confront

Opposing players will swap jerseys. It’s a sign of respect and both players get to take home a memento.

jersey-switch

The practice is believed to have started in 1931, when players from France’s national team asked to swap jerseys with England’s national team after beating them for the first time.

Over the last decade, the jersey-swapping ritual has made its way to the NFL.

viking-bear-swap

According to the NY Times, jersey-swapping has been around for years, but it really picked up last season.

In fútbol, jersey-swapping is usually a spur-of-the-moment move. In the NFL, the swaps are usually planned out in advance.

nfl-jersey-chief-steelers
Credit: Gregory Shamus / Getty

READ: Texas Football Players Who Hit Referee Say They’re Not Thugs or Gangsters

And the players have the cost of each jersey docked from their pay at the end of the season.

exchange-nfl-1

Several players told the New York Times that each jersey will cost more than $100. Not too bad for guys making millions.

Sometimes, players will swap jerseys with an opposing player that they respect as an athlete.

beckham-jackson

“You watch any of the gladiator or Spartan movies, on the field of battle is their helmet or whatever they were wearing — they won or lost in it. The jerseys are kind of like our armor,” said Odell Beckham Jr. to The New York Times.

But players usually swap jerseys with friends, former college teammates or players who they consider mentors.

peterson-bowe

“To me, it’s not about collecting them. It’s if the person means something to me, if he played some type of role in my life,” said New York Jets cornerback Dexter McDougle to The New York Times.

Makes sense, because NFL jerseys don’t slip off as easily as soccer jerseys.

redskins-miami-swap
Credit: Patrick Smith / Getty

 Like this story? Click on the share button below to send to your friends!

Tags: Football, soccer, Sports
We recommend
Trial Begins For Scott Warren, The Volunteer Arrested For Giving Undocumented People Water, Saving Lives

Scott Warren is on trial for helping undocumented migrants survive their journey through the harsh desert to the U.S. by offering food and water.
Motel 6 Was Giving Guests Lists To ICE, Now They Are Paying $20 Million To The Victims

A year and a half ago, people were appalled to know that the guests staying at Motel 6 in Arizona had their information compromised.
An Arizona Border Patrol Agent Spent 6 Years Arresting Immigrants While Being Undocumented Himself

Marco A. De La Garza, 38, spent almost six years as a Border Patrol agent on America’s southern border in Arizona. Turns out he wasn’t a U.S. citizen.

Paid Promoted Stories