The Charge: Abuse of Presidential Portrait

A Long Island elementary school teacher says she was sacked for hanging a picture in her classroom. No, not a dirty picture or even a classical nudie painting. She posted a picture of President George W. Bush along with several other presidents. Apparently, these guys are "political" and that's a no-no for eight-year olds.

The third-grade teacher in Massapequa's Birch Lane Elementary School, Jillian Caruso, was told by her boss, Principal Joyce Becker-Seddio, to take down the Bush portrait. According to a lawsuit filed by Ms. Caruso, Mrs. Becker-Seddio became "outraged and insisted the picture be removed." Apparently, the principal was feeling generous that day because soon after she also decided it was necessary to force the teacher to resign.

There's more to this story than simply a picture. Ms. Caruso is heavily involved in the Republican Party. She acted as a "team leader" in Mr. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, served on the Republican National Committee and volunteered at the convention. Her former boss, Principal Becker-Seddio, is the wife of Democratic state Assemblyman Frank R. Seddio.

This is not the first time the president's mug has landed a teacher in trouble. Last year, an English teacher in South Brunswick, N.J., was reassigned for the same offense. A picture of President and Mrs. Bush had been tactlessly placed on the teacher's personal bulletin board along with famous historical American documents (the teacher is a history buff). Her boss accused her of political activities that were a "zealous misuse of instruction time." The alleged tip off? The teacher also had displayed a stuffed elephant on her desk.