MARLOW, Okla. — A high school history teacher will likely have to explain himself and his reason for posting an odd Benjamin Franklin quote in his classroom.
Steven Alcorn has been a teacher for nearly 40 years but is now suspended over a drawing of a gray cat and a paraphrased quote from Benjamin Franklin which says, “In the dark, all cats are gray.”
It is taken from a Benjamin Franklin letter written in 1745, known today as “Advice to a Young Man on Choosing a Mistress.”
Franklin is said to be advising a young man to choose an older woman as a companion.
Alcorn’s attorney, Richard O’Carroll, explained to the Duncan Banner, an area newspaper/website, that O’Carroll wanted to give his students a more complete picture of Franklin and other people in history.
“Just as Ben Franklin was a great man in terms of science and a founder of our nation, he was still a man. People need to know these things, not just the myths and legends, but who they are,” O’Carroll said.
Thursday night, the Marlow Public School Board met in executive session to discuss Alcorn’s suspension. No details were released on the closed-door discussions or if any decisions were made.
A disciplinary hearing was scheduled for January 20.
Some students remain upset, saying it’s awful because Alcorn is loyal to the school.
“Why would you want to do that to someone who has been so loyal to their school, who came to every single football game?” student Amber Abrego said.