06:22 PM EST on Monday, February 6, 2006

February 6, 2006

Citizens of Louisville:

I am compelled to respond in writing, in my own, unedited words that CAN NOT be manipulated by a fame-seeking television reporter and a television station desperate to boost the ratings of their new 5:00 PM news broadcast. (By the way, you will no longer see me exclusively on WHAS.)

Just who in the world is Paul Dawson? We have hundreds of people demanding he be fired.

Stop and think. I mean, really, THINK… Do you think that you could name even ONE person who has ever sat down and actually talked to Paul Dawson other than in a public school classroom?

If you are REALLY interested, if you really want to get involved in the Jefferson County Public Schools, get yourself some paper and a pencil, and start taking notes.

Who is Paul Dawson? He is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan and came to Kentucky on a full scholarship and graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1975. The Fayette County School System was so anxious to hire him before someone else that he actually started to teach before the ink had dried on his diploma. (Check THAT fact out in his personnel file!) He taught at Southern Junior High from 1975-1980.

Why did Paul Dawson want to become a teacher? He wanted to teach Speech & Drama and coach track. And teach he did! Mr. Dawson was an extremely successful Speech & Drama teacher! Just ask his former Drama students! Dawson had many clashes with administrators in Lexington because he kept seeing better ways to do things, but nobody listened. He quit in disgust and moved on. He was NOT fired! He quit with a clear conscience and with the confidence he could get a teaching job anywhere he wanted to… and he did!

Fast forward to 1985. The Fairdale High School principal wanted Paul to build an award-winning Speech 7 Drama program, and Dawson accepted the challenge. Do you think that the JCPS administrators would hire someone labeled “Damaged Goods?” They knew Dawson had exceptional talent. However, the make principal that wanted Dawson so desperately left, and Dawson inherited a female principal who had an entirely different agenda.

Fast forward to the present time. Dawson is now at Valley Traditional High School. He still has the talent, but is not being utilized in a position that will showcase his strengths. Dawson understands all the petty games that are played in administrative office.

Stop and think. He has been teaching 30 years! Do you think he is a fool?……With age comes wisdom…..Dawson gets smarter every day. He did not plan on the December 2, 2005 incident at the door’s broken window, but when events started to play out, he was determined to not get sucker-punched again.

Dawson tried to do the right thing. He always, ALWAYS has! He has consistently done the right thing for 30 years. He has taken the fall time after time to be politically correct. He has taken the fall to protect his students. He doesn’t mind because he knows there is a teaching job waiting for him.

Dawson is a drama teacher and a playwright. (Check out his classes and grades from the University of Kentucky). He knows how to motivate, and he knows how to act. He knows how to write, and he is writing a screenplay right now. This letter you are reading is part of Act I of the move entitled: “Slaying The Dragon.”

Stop and think. Jefferson County Public Schools claims to hire the best teachers in the country. Valley Traditional High School has some of the best of the best. Dawson is definitely one of them. Dawson is truly one of the….”BEST KEPT SECRETS”…..in the JCPS.

Stop and think. Why have the JCPS administration been mysteriously quiet during all this public turmoil???

Stop and think. What in the world is Dawson trying to do? What has this man accomplished that all the usual cronies haven’t been able to do in YEARS???

The N-word is a huge problem. How do we solve it? Why have we pretended it doesn’t exist? Dawson knows that a dragon is walking the halls and that dragon walks daily into EVERY classroom in every school in this country. Dawson has figured out how to “slay the dragon.”

Stop and think about Dawson’s TRUE character. How can you condemn a man you have never even TALKED to???? Did you actually believe that act Dawson put on for the TV cameras???…..It was all an act! Dawson was just trying to wake everybody up!….Try watching the movie, “Network.”……..Don’t you get it? Paul Dawson was acting the part of Howard Beale!!!! He is mad as Hell and he’s not going to take it any more!!!!!…..Dawson has more courage than all you parasites that are calling for his termination!

This N-word problem didn’t begin on December 2, 2005 at Mr. Dawson’s door with the broken window! (We never did find out who broke the window, did we, mystery fans?) The cronies and parasites have done nothing to solve the problem! They pretended it didn’t exist in our schools!

And now they want to fire the man who finally got the entire community outraged about the problem! What’s up with that?? Don’t you just love the irony?

As my STUDENTS might say: “Dawson Hate-ahs….YOU”VE BEEN PLAYED!!!!!!”

“Now get off your self-righteous bee-hinds and do something about it!”

Dawson has already donated his two-weeks salary.

And he thanks you very much for the respect and kindness you have shown him. I love the Christian spirit in this community.

Go Valley Vikings!

Mr. Paul Dawson

Playwright-in-Residence

Valley Traditional High School

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All punctuation and formatting taken directly from letter.