MovieChat Forums > Lean on Me (1989) Discussion > Was Joe Clark a Little Racist?

Was Joe Clark a Little Racist?

posted 15 years ago by Lakemystery3
26 replies | jump to latest

He fired Mrs. Elliott (a white teacher) for being insubordinant. But when Mr. Darnell (a black teacher) threatened him with physical violence and dumped his desk over, Clark mearely suspended him. Is insubordination somehow worse than the threat of physical violence?

I've seen people on almost every movie board asking if the movie is racist, and I swore to myself I'd never do that. But this one kind of has me confused. It seems that Clark was playing favorites. Even Dr. Napier didn't stick up for Mrs. Elliott the way he did for Mr. Darnell. Dr. Napier says, "He is a good, young, strong black teacher." Why the double standard?

_______
"She flattened a Dear John with a John Deere." - Douglas Wambaugh

[–] stevenackerman69 15 years ago

Well, I feel that Clark is a little militant myself. He didn't like the fact that Mrs. Elliot was teaching Mozart, but didn't object to the gospel stuff that Mrs. Powers did when she took over the class. Going back to Mozart, Clark makes this whole speech about being crucified by a process, etc. Here's my answer to his question about Mozart: It will get the students interested in other things that are educational. And Dr. Napier mentioned that Mrs. Elliot was the best teacher they had and now they couldn't get her back. I guess Mrs. Elliot complained to him saying, "I won't work for that nut. Fire him or transfer me." And Mrs. Elliot got fired after the argument with Clark that sort of built up. Maybe with Darnell he felt closer in some way so he just suspended him, thinking that maybe he could come back.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] stevenackerman69 14 years ago

No, she wasn't. She said okay to him and then started to go back to work. He took it the wrong way. Maybe she could've waited until he left but she just felt that was the way to respond. Everyone is going to respond to people differently.

[–] Sparky48 13 years ago

I think it's somewhat silly to play the race card with this. Whether Clark tried to fire a teacher or suspended him/her, it was done out of heat of the moment and was personal retribution for a teacher talking back to him. The truth was--as Ms. Levis pointed out--Clark actually didn't have the authority to arbitrarily suspend/terminate a teacher.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Sparky48 13 years ago

"Even Dr. Napier didn't stick up for Mrs. Elliott the way he did for Mr. Darnell. Dr. Napier says, 'He is a good, young, strong black teacher.' Why the double standard?"
_________________________________________________________________________________

Not true. Napier called Mrs. Elliot the "best teacher we had." He also told Clark that he admired her because "she wouldn't kiss your ass."

I think you may be a little hyper-sensitive about race in regard to this scene. Napier referred to Darnell as a "strong, black teacher" because, for obvious reasons, black students can more easily identify with African-American teachers. (Not that white teachers are inferior and can't be just as good or invaluable either.)

[–] Lakemystery3 13 years ago

I didn't say Dr. Napier didn't stick up for her. I said he didn't stick up for her the way he did for Darnell. He said, "We couldn't get her back if we tried." So, they're not even going to try?

I'm not being hyper-sensitive. I'm just wondering about the double standard. Darnell threatened physical violence. Anywhere in America, if you threaten your boss with physical violence you get fired. Mrs. Elliot was insubordinate, yes! Very much so, especially in front of students. But did that warrant firing over a suspension like Darnell got?

_______
"She flattened a Dear John with a John Deere." - Douglas Wambaugh

[–] Sparky48 13 years ago

Maybe I'm missing something ... I don't know. But at what point was Elliot ever "insubordinate"? Clark issued the directive to her to see to it that all of the students learn the school song, and she complied by saying, "Certainly Mr. Clark." I mean, it would be one thing if she totally ignored him by not responding to him at all (a delusion held by Clark), but she did comply.

Darnell was indefinitely suspended and Elliot was fired, but it was just semantics. Actually, indefinite suspension is to the same effect of a termination. For all intents and purposes, it's the same thing. That's why in the scene where the fire chief tries to get in the school and Clark welcomes Darnell back to work, Darnell replies, "You should have never FIRED me in the first place."

[–] stevenackerman69 13 years ago

I think Clark felt that she just saying that and turning back to the class was to him like she isn't really paying attention, hence his statement about being ignored. Maybe if she hadn't done that part, there would've been no trouble. But Clark was an idiot anyway. He just didn't appreciate Mozart.

[–] manofsteel4455 13 years ago

And the way Clark just burst into her classroom like that without knocking I can't really say I blame her for acting that way.

I just pissed myself and no one can do anything about it!

[–] stevenackerman69 13 years ago

He does the same thing later with Mrs. Powers. I guess he felt that as principal, he could just do that.

[–] magdalene_1024 7 years ago

I interpreted "Best teacher we had" and "Couldn't get her back if we tried" as Mrs. Elliot was possibly highly sought after by other schools/districts. And Mrs. Elliot may have very likely used that to her advantage at Eastman--higher pay, more perks (extra sick time/paid time off, for example), perhaps more equipment/supplies for her classes. And Eastman may have given her everything they reasonably could to keep an excellent teacher on their staff instead of her going elsewhere.

The minute Clark 'fired' her (presuming he had that authority), she probably called up a dozen other schools and may have had something else lined up immediately, and Napier knew it. Napier also knew that Elliot would not work with Clark, and Clark would not change his attitude--and he needed Clark as the principal more than he needed Elliot as the music teacher.

[–] RCeditor 13 years ago

She's a damn music teacher, a.k.a. worthless. Darnell was a teacher who was needed to help students pass that test. Race had nothing to do with.

More importantly, he was a FOOTBALL COACH. That outranks a fine arts teacher every time.

THE RAP CRITIC:
http://www.youtube.com/user/moviedeeva

[–] tlj272004 13 years ago

Remember, he did demote Mr. Darnell to ASSISTANT head coach & promoted the WHITE assistant to head coach!

[–] Lakemystery3 13 years ago

Okay, but is being a smartass somehow worse than the threat of physical violence?

_______
"She flattened a Dear John with a John Deere." - Douglas Wambaugh

[–] stevenackerman69 13 years ago

Music teachers aren't worthless.