People A Bus Should Hit: Wendy Partillo & The St. Lucie County School Board

Democracy Is Alive!!! A Florida teacher, Wendy Portillo, who had her class vote out a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, has been voted back into her job by the St Lucie County School Board. Oh righteous day.

In May of 2008, Ms. Portillo conducted a reality TV-like exercise in which 5 year old Alex Barton was forced to stand in front of the class while his classmates listed reasons they didn’t like him. Alex was referred to, among other things, as “disgusting” and “annoying.” The class then took a vote to exclude Alex from the class, with a final tally of 14-2 voting in favor. Alex was forced to leave his class and spend the rest of the day in the school nurses’s office. As a result, Portillo was suspended from teaching for one year without pay and her tenure was revoked.

However, Portillo appealed and the St. Lucie County School Board decided Wednesday to affirm her suspension, which lasts until November, but reinstate Portillo’s tenure upon her return. Portillo is guaranteed a teaching position with the school district at the end of her suspension, reports WPTV, the West Palm Beach, Fla. NBC affiliate.

Barton reportedly has not returned to school since the incident. His mother has said that he is so traumatized that she cannot drive past his former elementary school without Alex screaming and begging not to be made to go back to school.

Now we only have to wait for the vote from the Holocaust Denial and Sugar Tits Appreciation Society on whether Mel Gibson is actually justified in his hatred of the Jews. Seriously, I haven’t heard of a decision this ridiculous since my left hand denied my right hand access to my Megan Fox picture library.