MovieChat Forums > The Facts of Life (1979) Discussion > The episode where Jo wrote the article t...

The episode where Jo wrote the article to get back at her teacher

posted 5 years ago by alycat32 (133)
12 replies | jump to latest

The one where she didn't check facts and wrote that he was arrested in a cocaine raid at a party, but didn't ask good questions of the police and found out only after it was printed that he had been immediately released and not charged because they found he wasn't involved and didn't partake. What a powerful episode. I think it's so important, because people are so naive. She was so surprised at the end when he had been asked to leave. She kept offering to print a new article, explain everything, go to the school board, etc...and like he told he, none of that would help. Once you've been accused of something like that, it doesn't just go away. It's out there. Like when someone is falsely accused of an inappropriate relationship with a student. Even if it turns out the student lied, it's out there. A retraction would still have people thinking someone only went back on what was said because they were threatened or something. People immediately jump the gun and believe everything they read as fact and new REAL facts that pop up, they assume are lies. It's weird. It's always "I always THOUGHT there was something weird about that guy.." said only AFTER something is printed. Then they don't even take it back after it's found out they didn't actually do anything.

What about teaching somewhere else? she asks. He brings up the fact that schools have a thing about not hiring teachers popped for cocaine. People need to understand, especially young people, that lives can be affected by words. Jo made a very poor error in judgement but got to live out her life with no real consequences over it but guilt. Who knows if the teacher was able to even get hired at a paper. Makes you think. It's just a show but stories like these happen all the time.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2388) 5 years ago

Even though Jo is 'tough' she was was still like the other girls...a child. She did not understand that somebody being at the scene does not mean they were involved in it

Does it mean that the teacher 's entire teaching career is over? With eastland being both a private independent school and this being pre-internet--where it's not distributed @ the speed of light, I doubt it circulated much outside of their little circle.

If he was not legally charged he can still most likely get a teaching job elsewhere....which he himself apparently has forgotten in this panic.

Certainly starting over is inconvenient. But it's also a good reminder that these are still students and not colleagues.And I am sure if he thought about it, since Jo was there on Scholarship, he could have sued to have that taken away from her.

But then there would not be drama would there.

[–] alycat32 (133) 5 years ago

Maybe not as much back then, I’ll admit.
However had that happened today odds are with the internet and gossip, schools wouldn’t hire them just because they’d be afraid of parental reaction. Doesn’t matter if they did it or not. Unfortunately that’s where we are today. Teachers are fired all the time for being accused of something, or they are pressured to resign, even though they’ve been convicted of nothing. Parents and the general public have a lot of influence.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2388) 5 years ago

Internet would have spiced this story up. That is when you would have removed Jo's scholarship

[–] GhostofTinky (1) 3 years ago

I do not believe Jo was totally at fault. She did contact the police to check facts. They didn't mention to her that Gideon was released or that there were no charges against him. That's on them. She could have checked other sources, of course, but the police didn't give all the details.

At the end, he mentions that he will simply return to working at a newspaper, so it is clear he will be fine. Since he was a terrible teacher, this is for the best.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2388) 2 years ago

Being tough is not always the same as being terrible--important difference. Yes the police screwed up, although access to all of the 'public' facts was harder pre-internet (which people seem to forget. In the episode Jo herself was not there. She had to rely on others. This was early 80's so you had to depend on second hand heresay vs being able to search it online yourself. Yes she could have checked but it was harder to get at and for a high schooler without professional training it would have been impossible to successfully find these networks.

[–] MeanKitty2022 (140) 2 years ago

He was not a "terrible teacher." He explained he was tough on students because the competition in the real world would be tough.

Most likely, he never taught again. Even without the internet, what would he say when he applied for another job? As he said, schools are not likely to hire a teacher with that bad mark on his record.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2388) 2 years ago

I doubt that it 'stayed' on his record since it was a private school and Jo's article at the time was only distributed on the physical grounds of the campus. It would be impossible to show all over the country. Remember the girls could only attend Leeland for undergrad and law (graduate) and they still ended up living together?

So I don't think it traveled too far.

[–] MeanKitty2022 (140) 2 years ago

What about when he applied for a job teaching and had to list work experience and reason for leaving previous job? When they checked on his experience? It would definitely follow him. She ruined his career.

[–] Daisy (3022) 2 years ago

What season is this from?

[–] MeanKitty2022 (140) 2 years ago

I think either 3 or 4, not sure which.

[–] Daisy (3022) 2 years ago

The first four seasons were the best I think

[–] pioneergrrrl (2388) 2 years ago

what Jo wrote though was false. So no she did not ruin his career. He was not the one doing cocaine.

He himself was drug free and not charged with a crime. So it would not show up during subsequent background checks. He could get anything which did show up expunged since he was never formally charged.

He can put he left for better opportunities....which yes would be true. He could leave for other schools where the students did not print gossip.

Jo was never disciplined for this BTW which she should have been since the teacher himself using was false.

And Eastland was supposed to teach her ethics in journalism not just print whatever you want to write in order to get back at a teacher. No this was not journalism. Jo made up whatever she wanted. Jo should have had to leave for writing gossip.

But that would have ended the show since she was what had retooled and essentially saved it re ratings....they were all rich girls before. This was her second chance after having been the one who was arrested and bailed out by mrs garrett in season 2. She by does have at least one thing on her record