# Black Woman (teacher) Possibly Harmed.  What Say You?



## luckiestdestiny (Aug 23, 2018)

Side note: Forgive poll typos. It is early and I was on my phone. I went to correct it minutes later and it won't let me edit the questions. It will only let me "add" questions to the poll. Still it is easily understood . Please vote. What do you think? And post your thoughts in the thread too. I hope to discuss this too!


https://www.theroot.com/north-carolina-middle-school-teacher-suspended-after-he-1828489655


Gender Studies
*North Carolina Middle School Teacher Suspended After Her Pole-Dancing Video Was Leaked*



Breanna Edwards
Tuesday 10:43am
Filed to: teacher suspended over pole dancing video
50.7K
1112





Kandice Mason
Screenshot: ABC11
We all have our ways to detox and unwind. For some people, it’s taking a well-deserved nap, for others it’s maybe a little retail therapy, for me, it’s yoga, and for Kandice Mason, it’s pole dancing.

Except now, Mason’s safe-space has been violated after a video of her pole dancing, which was posted to her private Facebook account, was leaked to North Carolina’s Hoke County Public Schools, now leaving her job as a sixth-grade teacher at West Hoke County Middle School in jeopardy.





“I’ve worked so hard to try and make sure I can provide for my daughters and our livelihood to have it jeopardized just for doing something that I’m passionate about,” Mason told ABC11.

Mason loves to teach and was looking forward to meeting her students in the fall. The teacher also has a passion for learning, as is clear, from her three degrees including a masters in Psychology, bachelors in English, and a certificate in phlebotomy.

She also taught herself pole dancing, her means of de-stressing.

“That’s how I stay in shape. That’s how I feel like I can express myself and have time for myself,” Mason explained.

And hey, who isn’t proud of their passions and the things they learn. Pole dancing is a _sport_, which requires immense strength and discipline.







Read on theglowup.theroot.com
But apparently, in this the year of Beyoncé 2018, we still haven’t learned to leave women’s bodies and their varied forms of self-expression alone. Because one video of a teacher pole dancing in her underwear that covers about as much as your standard bikini has become a huge thing. Mason was suspended by the school district with pay, pending an investigation. The case could go before the Hoke County School Board, which, in that case, would have the final say in her employment.

Hoke County Schools declined to say exactly why Mason was suspended, but the teacher says that the school told her she violated a particular policy, which reads, “As role models for the school system, students, however, employees are responsible for their public conduct ... even when they are not performing their job duties as employees of the school system.”

But what’s the real tea? And if that’s what the school really told her, how is pole dancing, again a _legit_ bad-ass sport, an issue?

“I’ve never felt ashamed of pole dancing. It’s just an art for me. I just don’t see it as negative,” Mason said.


*About the author*




Breanna Edwards
News Editor at The Root, animation nerd, soca junkie, yogi

TwitterPosts


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## luckiestdestiny (Aug 23, 2018)

So I will go first.  I realize that it is important to control our image online but I feel somewhat torn by this one. And I just want to know which one of her so called friends went through the trouble of being a "concerned citizen" and alerting her school.  I voted for that one.  I don't think this is a simple black and white answer but I am also interested in what teachers at lhcf have to say about this one and the "policy" in their schools which I'm sure are similar. And of course I'd love to hear overall thoughts by the community because I feel like there are a lot of levels to this. I would love to hear your comments on this one because a black woman is being harmed and could possibly have her life altered (I assume black listed from teaching kinda thing at least in the "area" and definitely not a good thing to have this kind of story online).  At least she's given pay right now while they "investigate" but I am assuming that the public "reaction" will be the deciding factor here. 

I've heard a bunch of times from others, and in other threads at lhcf, that people should be aware of the images they place online regardless of if they are private or not. I do think she should have kept that to herself but at the same time, she did place it privately online. And the friend who did that is just horrible.  With friends like that, who needs enemies?


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## luckiestdestiny (Aug 23, 2018)

I posted a video. The original video associated with the post states that she pole dances in her spare time for exercise.  Now it appears that though that is true there are other aspects. I did research and it appears that other places are reporting that there is more to that story which I did not know when I placed the original poll. Apparently she's a part time pole dance instructor as well.  She teaches it and says it is a sport not just something associated with strip clubs, etc.  I assume this is a factor in why they feel the way they do. You can change your poll decision at any time (if this is something that might change your mind).  I am sticking with my original thoughts so far...


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## dicapr (Aug 23, 2018)

I don’t think she should be fired. But I do know NC is conservative and there is a code of conduct teachers sign and must adhere to. Hopefully she didn’t violate the code of conduct and she can get her job back. 

We have to remember that nothing we post on line is truly private. I feel bad for her.


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## momi (Aug 23, 2018)

I know they say pole dancing is a sport but her competition outfit is not saying sport - it's saying something else.

It's a shame how SM has impacted our lives in this way.  Her page was private and she should be able to video and enjoy her "sport" as she chooses in the privacy of her own home. Unfortunately now that the video is public knowledge the school has to decide if this is someone they want to have influence over their 6th grade students. 

For the record, I don't see her as a victim though.  She rolled the dice and here we are.


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## Crackers Phinn (Aug 23, 2018)

I don’t think she should be fired unless this turns into a problem with the kids she teaches.   Kids are terrible and I can see a whole lot of ways they can turn the stripper teacher into a distraction.

People go learn to quit putting everything on the internet.  It was obviously a so called friend who made sure the video ended up at her job.


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## Covagirlm (Aug 23, 2018)

Is she new to the internet? She knows how this thing works.


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## rafikichick92 (Aug 23, 2018)

While it wasn’t smart to post the video, I don’t think she should be fired. I have a friend who pole dances for fitness (who also posts her pole videos on Facebook), I am a bit more familiar/not as shocked by the optics. They have to wear the skimpy  outfits to be able to stick to the pole. I don’t think it’s far fetched that she needed a bare abdomen to be able to do a particular move or trick. I’m generally pretty conservative, but I think people need to stay out of others’ private business and get their minds out of the gutter on this one.


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## Black Ambrosia (Aug 23, 2018)

I think her teaching it actually sounds more ‘respectable’ than her having random videos online that she shares with her friends. Having said all that, it was only a matter of time. If a friend didn’t leak it from her personal page then a video from the school where she teaches would’ve been discovered eventually. I can see a parent taking her dance class and threatening to report her if her child wasn’t given extra accommodations. 

I don’t think she should be fired but I wonder how effective she’ll be in the classroom with teenage hormones. It doesn’t sound like the school is willing to back her up on this.


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## luckiestdestiny (Aug 23, 2018)

Crackers Phinn said:


> I don’t think she should be fired unless this turns into a problem with the kids she teaches.   Kids are terrible and I can see a whole lot of ways they can turn the stripper teacher into a distraction.
> 
> People go learn to quit putting everything on the internet.  It was obviously a so called friend who made sure the video ended up at her job.





Black Ambrosia said:


> I think her teaching it actually sounds more ‘respectable’ than her having random videos online that she shares with her friends. Having said all that, it was only a matter of time. If a friend didn’t leak it from her personal page then a video from the school where she teaches would’ve been discovered eventually. I can see a parent taking her dance class and threatening to report her if her child wasn’t given extra accommodations.
> 
> I don’t think she should be fired but I wonder how effective she’ll be in the classroom with teenage hormones. It doesn’t sound like the school is willing to back her up on this.




This is why I was torn.  Kids, especially middle school and up are crazy hormones. Her teaching stripping thing for fitness can become a distraction and I could see students gossiping about it, and creating all sorts of other drama that takes away from her job as a teacher.


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## luckiestdestiny (Aug 23, 2018)

Does anyone think she may be treated harsher because of her race? Would a blonde ww be subjected to the same treatment or would they just view her as a previous "fitness instructor"?  Or is this one time where they are doing what they normally would if a teacher had this type of material (video) online?


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## dicapr (Aug 23, 2018)

luckiestdestiny said:


> Does anyone think she may be treated harsher because of her race? Would a blonde ww be subjected to the same treatment or would they just view her as a previous "fitness instructor"?  Or is this one time where they are doing what they normally would if a teacher had this type of material (video) online?


  Normal for NC.   The code still states that you have to go to church every Sunday ect. The state is extremely conservative. Teachers who get pregnant without being married are under scrutiny and it has been whispered that some had quickie weddings as a stipulation to keep their jobs.


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## Reinventing21 (Aug 23, 2018)

She should not lose her job over this. I understand teachers have reponsibility to have a positive community image, but teachers are people outside their day job. She thought she was being responible by posting private, and it is not like she was posting porn or anything close to it so.... She needs to go after the person who violated her privacy.

As far as her students go, they probably would not have known about it if it were not for adults.  Parents too have a respsonsibilty for their kids.  This is a teachable momentdon' t put private stuff on even a private page, teachers also have lives outside school, don't harrass or disrespect your teachers, get off the internet and develop a hobby/talent/skill etc.  Ummmm....


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## Brwnbeauti (Aug 23, 2018)

That’s why you don’t befriend anyone from work on sm.


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## Kanky (Aug 23, 2018)

She should be fired. Strippers are not appropriate role models for children and at this point they all know she’s a stripper. She should’ve kept that video to herself.


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## luckiestdestiny (Aug 23, 2018)

momi said:


> I know they say pole dancing is a sport but her competition outfit is not saying sport - it's saying something else.
> 
> It's a shame how SM has impacted our lives in this way.  Her page was private and she should be able to video and enjoy her "sport" as she chooses in the privacy of her own home. Unfortunately now that the video is public knowledge the school has to decide if this is someone they want to have influence over their 6th grade students.
> 
> For the record, I don't see her as a victim though.  She rolled the dice and here we are.




You mentioned that you don't see her as a victim. I assume that you do not see this as equivalent to revenge porn then? Do you think that someone should be held responsible for exposing her private video to others?

I go back and forth on this because she had it private but still for everyone who is on her facebook page so it is not like this is a private video that is just for her man (or woman depending on her sexual preference). This was available for all to see who know her personally, just not for anyone to see it professionally (ideally). So I do not see it as a huge violation. But I do know that someone was out to get her for sure which is why I feel for her because someone went out of their way to contact the school and post her vids and their "concern".

But again there is cause and effect. She rolled the dice and now she will have to face the outcome.


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## luckiestdestiny (Aug 23, 2018)

Kanky said:


> She should be fired. Strippers are not appropriate role models for children and at this point they all know she’s a stripper. She should’ve kept that video to herself.



Technically she's a teacher not a stripper and I wanted to point that out though I am not sure if that matters to you. She teaches it, but does not strip in a club or anything like that, just to clarify. She teaches a class for other people to learn the art of stripping and sees it as a sport of sorts.

I definitely agree she should keep it to herself but I am wondering if the fact that she teaches it, versus the act of actually working as a sex worker, changes your belief that she should be fired or do you see them as one in the same?

And this makes me ponder if teaching = being.  Is teaching something in a vanilla gym the same as working in a strip club with men throwing dollars at you?  

Curious to what everyone thinks about this.


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## luckiestdestiny (Aug 23, 2018)

Crackers Phinn said:


> I don’t think she should be fired unless this turns into a problem with the kids she teaches.   Kids are terrible and I can see a whole lot of ways they can turn the stripper teacher into a distraction.
> 
> People go learn to quit putting everything on the internet.  It was obviously a so called friend who made sure the video ended up at her job.





Covagirlm said:


> Is she new to the internet? She knows how this thing works.





Reinventing21 said:


> She should not lose her job over this. I understand teachers have reponsibility to have a positive community image, but teachers are people outside their day job. She thought she was being responible by posting private, and it is not like she was posting porn or anything close to it so.... She needs to go after the person who violated her privacy.
> 
> As far as her students go, they probably would not have known about it if it were not for adults.  Parents too have a respsonsibilty for their kids.  This is a teachable momentdon' t put private stuff on even a private page, teachers also have lives outside school, don't harrass or disrespect your teachers, get off the internet and develop a hobby/talent/skill etc.  Ummmm....




This is true. But that would require parents to actually_ parent_   and some just are not capable of being more than their kid's friend. 

I really am torn because it was private  but I've seen others lose their jobs for things posting things on fb no matter if they were listed as private or not. As mentioned this is not new. What is new is that she has always "taught" and this was at a gym, not at a sex club.

But again she is in her under wear on the vid 

I know regardless, there is some  human being out there hating on her and going through a lot of trouble to make her life miserable by reporting this in the first place.


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## GreenEyedJen (Aug 24, 2018)

I take pole classes and I work in a very conservative field. The workout is REAL and the boost in self esteem is absolutely awesome. However, my studio has very strict rules. No pictures in the studio, outside doors locked five minutes after class begins, DEFINITELY no windows in the joint, you know? These are for good reason. The doors must be locked because random men might walk off the street and attack us. Can’t take pictures SO THIS EXACT THING DOESN’T HAPPEN.  Even in this thread, pole dancing is called stripper dancing...and I get it, but they aren’t the same thing. The stigma is so strong, you really have to be discreet.  

It was dim witted of her to post that video, period. I truly understand being liberal
minded in a conservative field, but you have to be prepared for the backlash. It sucks to be personally opposed to your professional rules, but it is what it is.


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## sgold04 (Aug 24, 2018)

No, she shouldn’t have been fired. No, pole dancing is not stripping. No, she shouldn’t have posted her videos because nothing is private and there are still clearly many misconceptions about pole dancing. 

I’m more interested in her success as a teacher. How well do her kids perform? Does she have a good rapport with them and their families? If she’s a strong teacher of Black kids then I’d have to say my conspiracy theory antennaes are going up. But that’s just me.


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## Theresamonet (Aug 24, 2018)

She brought this on herself by posting that video. How silly. Private or not, it belongs to the internet once posted. And there is a difference between knowing that a teacher does pole dancing and having VIDEO of the teacher on the pole.


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## intellectualuva (Aug 24, 2018)

Yikes. I don't think she should be fired, but people have to be extra careful about what's online with their actual faces and/or real named.


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## ava2 (Aug 24, 2018)

wow How unfortunate.

Not sure what she’s going to do


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## nysister (Aug 24, 2018)

I'm team #BlackWoman but this is her problem. We all have lives outside of work but some things don't sync.

Being an attorney and a pole dancer I might not care about, but she works in a position to influence young minds on a daily basis, that's the essence of her job. Those two things don't go together well. If you're mixing them beware of video and fake friends.

In the end, if I were a parent and she was good at her job I wouldn't care.


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## momi (Aug 24, 2018)

luckiestdestiny said:


> You mentioned that_* you don't see her as a victim. I assume that you do not see this as equivalent to revenge porn then? Do you think that someone should be held responsible for exposing her private video to others?*_
> 
> I go back and forth on this because she had it private but still for everyone who is on her facebook page so it is not like this is a private video that is just for her man (or woman depending on her sexual preference). This was available for all to see who know her personally, just not for anyone to see it professionally (ideally). So I do not see it as a huge violation. But I do know that someone was out to get her for sure which is why I feel for her because someone went out of their way to contact the school and post her vids and their "concern".
> 
> But again there is cause and effect. She rolled the dice and now she will have to face the outcome.



Revenge porn would only apply if the video was shared by a scorned former love interest. The article says it was shared to her "private" facebook account  - I understand that to mean that it was her "personal" account which (unless facebook has some type of encryption option) the video could have been shared by any one of her FB friends.  After further thought, sharing the video on any online format was reckless and no I do not consider her a victim.


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## Kanky (Aug 24, 2018)

luckiestdestiny said:


> Technically she's a teacher not a stripper and I wanted to point that out though I am not sure if that matters to you. She teaches it, but does not strip in a club or anything like that, just to clarify. She teaches a class for other people to learn the art of stripping and sees it as a sport of sorts.
> 
> I definitely agree she should keep it to herself but I am wondering if the fact that she teaches it, versus the act of actually working as a sex worker, changes your belief that she should be fired or do you see them as one in the same?
> 
> ...


It doesn’t matter whether she is teaching pole dancing or stripping because there is a video of her on a pole in her underwear that the kids in her class can see. Pole dancing is sexual in our culture, regardless of how she sees it and the stripper connotation isn’t going anywhere before school starts  next Tuesday. She needs to find another line of work.


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## luckiestdestiny (Aug 24, 2018)

Kanky said:


> It doesn’t matter whether she is teaching pole dancing or stripping because there is a video of her on a pole in her underwear that the kids in her class can see. Pole dancing is sexual in our culture, regardless of how she sees it and the stripper connotation isn’t going anywhere before school starts  next Tuesday. She needs to find another line of work.


Wow. So do you think this will become a blacklisting type of thing? I have some relatives who are studying teaching and they suggested such a thing (at least in the surrounding areas).  Basically, they suggested that she won't be able to find another job at least for a while...and certainly not in the area (if they decide to fire her after the "investigation"). 

I guess she can teach online 
It sucks to work hard for a degree and then be shut out of her field. But she did make a choice.


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## Reinventing21 (Aug 24, 2018)

Just saw video on Acces and what she did was really nothing at all to be ashamed of.  As they pointed out and showed a video of a white dad and his little girls doing the same. It was hilarious, not sexual at all. 

If I were a sixth grade teacher I would PREFER my students did NOT see it ,but really if no adults had made a big deal about it , it would have been forgotten about 5 minutes later.


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