Case Study Of Pettit's Unprofessional Conduct

Unprofessional Conduct
Tiffany Barnes
Professor: Laina Molaski
Business Ethics
May 14, 2018

Mrs. Pettit was a licensed elementary teacher in California working with intellectually disabled students. She was working with students over thirteen years before her career came to an end. Pettit career was abrupt because she and her spouse joined a club in Los Angeles call Swingers. Throughout her career as being an elementary teacher, she had nothing but positive reports on her. (Shaw,2014, p.342). In this paper, I will be discussing whether the Board of Education violated Mrs. Pettit, fired her due to her actions, explain her unprofessional behavior, held teachers to a higher standard, and five behaviors showing immoral or unprofessional conduct
for a teacher. Mrs. Pettit and her spouse agreed to discuss their private sex life on a local television station. Pettit and her husband viewed with favor various "nonconventional sexual lifestyles," including "wife swapping (Shaw,2014, p.342). However, Pettit's coworker recognized Pettit's views and later discussed her opinions with the school staff. A year later she and her husband joined a private club in Los Angeles called Swingers. During the time of one of the parties, an undercover police officer from Sergeant Berk, joined the private residence and observed Pettit perform Fellatio on three different men in a one- hour period. Pettit was arrested due to oral copulation, which at the time contravened the California Penal Code (Shaw,2014, p.342-343). Therefore, I do believe the Board of Education violated her right to privacy when she joined the club. I feel like the Board of Education was wrong for violating her. At the time when Mrs. Pettit went to the club, she wasn't at school time or with any students. Pettit has a life of her own and whatever she does outside her career is her business. Everyone has their right to privacy if it does not affect others.

Did the Board of Education fire Pettit for her actions or not? My opinion I do think the Board of Education did fire Pettit for her actions because after she pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor of outraging public decency and a paid a fine that should have been left alone after that. My reason for believing that the Board of Education fired her is because two years later after she got arrested the disciplinary proceedings were against her. The Board of Education revoked her license to teach because of her immoral and unprofessional behaviors (Shaw,2014, p.343). I feel like if Board of Education were going to let her continue her career, they would not have revoked her license. I think the only reason they renewed her teaching contract the next year was that they were investing the case trying to come up with evidence. Were Pettit behaviors Pettit’s behaviors unprofessional or immoral and was she an unfit teacher?
After reading this case, I would not say Pettit’s behaviors was immoral. Pettit has the right to do whatever she likes outside of her career. I feel like whatever goes on in her own life is her business. However, I do feel it was unprofessional for her to get on television to discuss her sex life. She set up a bad reputation for herself when she got on television discussing her private sex life. I feel like that is why the board is saying she is an unfit teacher because they feel like she is not a good role model for the kids by doing that. I would not say she is an unfit teacher because throughout her career she had nothing but good evaluations. She was also known to be a dedicated
teacher.
Should teachers be held to a higher moral standard inside the classroom or outside the classroom? I say teachers should be higher moral standard inside and outside a school because teachers or suppose to be role models for the kids. My reason for saying inside and outside the school is because teachers are supposed to teach the kids whenever they are around them how to respect one another. Yes, I understand when a teacher is outside her classroom that is her private life but at the same time a teacher should always show positive behavior. Even if a teacher has good performance inside the classroom, they still need to be a positive role model, so they can encourage the students to care for one another and help each other when needed.
Finally, I will discuss five behaviors that would show unprofessional or immoral behaviors for teacher according to virtue ethics.
The first behavior is showing favoritism with certain students, and that is immoral behavior. I feel like teachers should treat and respected all kids the same way no matter what the situation is. Cheating is also immoral conduct I feel like it is most definitely wrong for a teacher to just give students answers. If the student is struggling with the assignment, the teacher job is to help and make sure the students fully understand the work not just giving answering. Disrespectful to the teacher is immoral and unprofessional because all kids should respect all adults whether it is their parents or not. That let the students know to receive respected you must show it as well. It is unprofessional for a teacher to gossip in the classroom. My reason for saying that it is unprofessional is because of the teachers or showing the kids how to talk about one another. They are supposed to be showing the kids how to interact with one another and care for each other. Their job is to encourage the kids to have a positive attitude towards people instead of negative. Lying can be an unprofessional behavior as well it will have the kids thinking it is cool to lie when it is
not.