FIRE MARSHAL VS. MONROE TEACHER CASE DROPPED - Rubber Doorstop Incident Gets International Attention

(12/10/2004)

After a Monroe County teacher was cited by a State Fire Marshal for propping her door open with a rubber doorstop to allow her classroom to cool down, the story has appeared in at least 40 newspapers nationwide, TV networks, in Asia and on the internet. The assistant state fire marshal who cited Monroe County English teacher Susanna Robinson for having her classroom door propped open with a rubber doorstop has dropped the charge. She was to have faced the charge of violating the Life Safety Code next Tuesday, a 17-volume set of rules the state follows with regard to fire safety in public buildings. The charge carried the potential of a fine up to $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail. "This is what I'd hoped would happen — that this would all be dropped and people would realize how ridiculous it really was," said Robinson. On November 9, the official came to Robinson's classroom door unannounced. According to the teacher and some of her students, began yelling at the teacher about the small rubber doorstop. Robinson explained that the room got unbearably hot with the door closed, the windows in the school do not open. He then confiscated the doorstop, and when Robinson protested that it was her personal property, he yelled, "I'll be back to deal with you later."

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