Comments about ‘Man from India wins bias case against Garfield District’

YGood for him. This has happend far to often in this state. Being white and mormon has always gotten you far in this state. Educated immigrants and minorities get the shaft. Kudos to Mr Desai!

If you were to talk with Mr. Desai for ten minuets you would understand why he was removed from the list. As a Grafield county resident I don't want that man any where near my children. This is not based on race or religon. It is based on his attitude.

He is a little extreme and sometimes negative, but I knew his older daughters who were very nice girls. Give him a chance, if it doesn't work out, then let him go!

I would hope that this means it is done. Let him be a substitue. Let him be paid the $50.00 a day or whatever the going rate is and move on. I am sure he would do fine. As i recall (from a student perspective) subs were there watch the class and make sure no one pulled the fire alarm. The teacher already had the lesson plan done. If it were for an exteded absence then the sub can work with the teacher/school to get the subject matter covered.

Are you sure it was HIS atitude? When someone says its not about the money, it is normally about the money. So when someone says it is not based on his race or religion, well go figure. You left out some of your best friends are Hindu.

How disappointing!

I moved to the center of Silicon Valley a few years ago, and found myself in basically Little India, with roughly 80% of neighbors from there. Beyond that, I have had two Indian managers and worked with hundreds of others.

I have found them to be unquestionably among the finest people in the world. They are totally family focused--to both their parents and children, well educated and bright, and extremely civilized and polite, grateful and modest in every way. They are the very fortunate few who found opportunities for education and advancement there: they are the best of the best of the best of a billion people.

It is a little-known reality that the world's information technology is built and run predominantly by Indians. They are less than 1% of the US population, but their children won 5 of the last 7 National Spelling Bees. Their focus on education has already made Indians the thought leaders in many sectors.

Very seriously, it would be in Utah's strongest economic and social interests to consider how it can attract more Indians to the state.

Just because someone has advanced degrees does not mean he can manage a classroom; however, it looks like Garfield School District had a clear bias against this man, and did not give him a chance to see if he would be a good teacher.

The country is begging for math teachers, so it would be a great boon if Mr. Desai decides he likes teaching.

"If you were to talk with Mr. Desai for ten minuets you would understand why he was removed from the list. As a Grafield county resident I don't want that man any where near my children. This is not based on race or religon. It is based on his attitude. "


So what's the dark secret about this man? No, I think it is like most other places I have lived that is mostly white and predominately one religion, bigotry. You hate anything that is out of the norm for you and therefore you reject it. It is also called being prejudiced.

Some of my best teachers were a little different than the usual. Bias most be stopped in Utah. It is far to common in these little communities across the nation.You must be over-qualified as he is, to even have a chance. The town should be ashamed if they are letting their kids drive by and harass this fine family.

I love that the D-news had to identify him in a picture full of ladies....(beautiful family btw.)

This is just sad that he has had to go through this. Even worse though, is the racial bias he may have to deal with in consequence of all of this...

Give this gentleman a chance. If he can connect with the kids then his knowledge of math and it's practical application to life and work would be such a benifit to the students. Utah isn't the only place that has missed this kind of opportunity..it's not a white or LDS thing..it's just stupidity and poor judgement,and yes, Garfield parents should grab hold of this chance to learn about a new culture and a new view of math..go for it!

In the article it mentions:

"Some teachers in attendance were worried that Desai might be a terrorist"

.....and then in the next paragraph: ......." some teenagers who had harassed him because of his ethnicity ....."

Not based on race ?????

What took eight years for this to get resolved in the industrial commission?

Another consideration is how easily the children will be able to understand him. After struggling to listen to foreign graduate teaching assistants, most of my class transferred to native English teachers. Is that discrimination? No, simply a desire that children learn.

How many of us have struggled to understand the "technical assistant" on the help line from India?

Doesn't having a black president prove discrimination doesn't exist anymore? Or at least I have read such assertions in letters to the editor and the comments section to that effect.

Thank heaven for liberal americans who stood up in the past and now and made such discrimination unacceptable.

You dumb people of garfield, don't you realize that being taught by a highly educated teacher does make a difference? Math education is hurting so much in the country and this state, and you are so wedded to your small town biases. Get out of the stone age. This is the 21st century.

Anonymous 7:25 - please tell us more. Or tell the DNews. Seriously, I want to know. I have known some real jerks from all walks of life - but you have to give us more information.

First, I am sorry to see this happen for him. I hope he does not feel that all LDS would do this.

Anyone who thinks that this is a common LDS thing is just as bias. The only intelligent comment would be that all bias cases are on a case by case basis. Disagree? Take a debate course at your local community college, I DARE you! It's simple logic. You cannot judge all for the actions of one.

Actual LDS doctrine is NOT to act this way. It is possible that the judge ruled incorrectly. I do not personally know the person who took him off the list and their reasons. Even if I knew them, I would not know their mind-frame when they did it.

I am LDS, I am Paleo-Conservative. I have many friends from many places. I know a man very well from Hyderabad (India) who is Hindu. Though I disagree with same-gender unions, I am friends with numerous people who practice it.

People always look into things and assume they are right without actual truth.

But no matter what I say you will find idiocy in these forums. War follows contention.

For all you that think that bias just runs rampant throughout Utah

I AM LDS AND NOT BIAS

How dare you label my religion and my beliefs as being bias? The VERY thing you are doing is bias. You can NEVER label an entire group as something that ONE PERSON did. You don't even know if the person WAS ACTUALLY doing something bias. All you know is that the judge ruled this way.

Notice that he was accepted to the training but was removed afterwards. It COULD have been his attitude.

I have met several people from India, many of them were very strong-willed about their beliefs and were very open about them. This certainly doesn't bother me, I view it is something about India that they should be proud of. However, some people are not that welcoming to such open and potent opinion as they wish to prevent conflicts. Without actually being in the courtroom, you can't judge the decision. Without being in the person's head(the one who caused this) you cannot judge them.

Every workplace I have been at allows anti-behavior and not LDS, how's that for bias?

For those of you who blame this behavior on being "white" or the LDS Church get over it. I have lived in the deep south and the African American Community has a biased against whites, I couldn't perform my work duties without a police escort just becasue I was white. I have worked on Indian Reservations where they don't want us there either.

You can say it is becasue of what the white man has done to them. Is that not racial profiling? Not every white man has treated them poorly!

I live in Iowa which is predominantly caucasian and work with others from Asia. When we go to rural communities we get the "look" from those in the diner on the street, etc.

Do you really think that the Asians (or other minorities) would be accepted in rural Iowa any more than they are in rural Utah? If you do then maybe you should venture out from Utah and experience people from other places.

What you will find is that this is not an LDS or white issue it is a people issue.

Okay, what specifically is wrong with this person? I don't see it in the article and I don't see it in the comment section. From what we have read so far we don't know his ability to communicate and be understood. We don't know his attitude about classroom discipline. We don't know about his ability to teach. What is wrong? Be specific.
With that said, not every person with an advance degree(s) can teach, especially grade school. I have three advance degrees and I would feel uncomfortable teaching kids. I know people with PhD's that are idiots...still wonder how the got their degrees. On the other hand if he can communicate with the kids what a rich opportunity for the kids to learn from such a man.
As to the LDS statements...it may not be that simplistic. I have lived in other small communities that were not LDS and I saw the same attitude. It is one reason I moved away from small communities.
I hope that this man is a fine individual and that the community will learn to embrase him. If so all will gain in the process.