Some people call it muckraking, others call it abuse. In the case of the most recent post by New Rochelle resident, Robert Cox, most of the NRHS community would agree with the latter. This post, regarding the publication of a “just-for-fun,” harmless, amusing video posted by a student of New Rochelle High School, skewed the original intent of the video.
New Rochelle High School’s highly esteemed math teacher, Nazar Rabadi, was featured in a video created by NRHS students lip-syncing to Carly Rae Jepson’s popular song “Call Me Maybe”. This video was purely for fun! It was intended to be a creative, positive way for students to “blow-off some steam” after a very rigorous year filled with honors and AP classes. The students in the class were merely expressing their adoration of their favorite math teacher– Mr. Rabadi.
Mr. Rabadi is one of the best teachers at New Rochelle High School. He is undoubtedly the best math teacher in the department. Rabadi has a unique way of engaging all his students and keeping them interested in the subject content. Each and every student can walk out of his classroom and honestly say they learned math. In no way would this amazing teacher ever even insinuate he would want to have any illicit relations with students. Why would a dedicated teacher jeopardize losing their ability to teach the children they care so deeply about? They wouldn’t.
People like New Rochelle resident, and parent of a NRHS student, Robert Cox take enjoyment in perverting the harmless actions of teachers. On numerous occasions, this self-proclaimed muckraker has bashed the New Rochelle School District. In all actuality, the New Rochelle School District is one of the best in the state of New York. It makes one wonder, does Cox know something we don’t, or is he just a disgruntled parent? It seems as if he has nothing else better to do than bash the school district.
It’s time someone says something to Cox, so here is is.
Robert Cox,
Please leave NRHS alone. Just because you feel like the city school district has not done everything they should have for your child does not give you the right to make false accusations against our best teachers. If you hate NRHS so much, maybe it is time you find a new place for your child to attend school. Everyone else seems to enjoy the school and love the teachers, including Mr. Rabadi. Stop making perversions out of harmless, creative expressions of the NRHS student body.
Thank you.
…..of the beholder
Reading the original post, I didn’t think there was any insinuation about the teacher or his intentions. Sometimes, the insinuation is in the mind of the reader. Perhaps you made up your mind before you even read the article – you do believe he bashes the school. I agree with Bob that you should be commended for your thoughtful response. However, I believe it was based on a false premise. I’ve never read anything bashing students or good teachers. I’m glad Bob enabled responses. This isn’t MSNBC, where you can drop by and make false accusations that go unchecked.
In all fairness
While I agree that the YouTube video may have been done with the utmost amount of innocence, you certainly can not point fingers at Mr. Cox for adding its’ content to his blog. Whereas it was also featured on at least one other news vehicle (News12), and likely others.
While I am in no position to question the merits of Mr. Rabadi as a teacher, I consider his inclusion on said video to be harmless, but perhaps his timing was not ideal.
In regards to Bob Cox, while people my be upset with his stories, whereas they often present people in their worst light. He has been extremely accurate in exposing countless issues in the city, particularly in our schools. From theft of service, illicit behavior, and illegal practices.
Timing is everything kids, and I could imagine Don Connetta or Richard Organishak’s reaction if Mr. Rabadi had requested permission to post this video on the heels of Anton’s escapade.
strawman
I do not take issue with most of what you wrote and you are at least one student who seems to understand that the proper response to speech with which you disagree is more speech. So, I commend you for that.
I do not commend you for selecting “comments disabled” on this article. I have enabled comments for this article. The part of free speech that you seemed to have missed is that the other side of the argument gets to have a say too.
I do take issue with one statement. You are repeating a claim made elsewhere that I have sought to “insinuate” that the teacher “would want to have any illicit relations with students”.
Can you provide any evidence to support this claim?
I have never written this or even thought this and there is certainly no evidence to support this. I have said that I thought it was poor judgement to make a video such as this in the midst on an ongoing criminal prosecution of a NRHS faculty member as has been described.
But Mr. Cox, one has
But Mr. Cox, one has absolutely nothing to do with the other. You’re attempting to link two things that are not connected in any way.
please clarify
Which “two things” do you mean, precisely?
Do you mean the video and the Anton case?
Mr. Rabadi till we die
Mr Cox,
As evident from your article, you had NO INTENTIONS of uplifting the name of Mr. Rabadi. Merely by connecting his esteemed name with the vial Marisa Anton case, you have insinuated that he intends to participate in sexual relations with children.
Honestly, the video has been put back up, but the emotional torment that you have put Mr. Rabadi and his students through (even instilling fear of expressing their talent) deserves an apology.
uplifting
I have not insinuated anything.
I have clearly stated my view that publishing this video in the midst of a criminal proceeding against another faculty member at NRHS shows poor judgement. I have never made any comment or insinuation about anyone involved in this video other than that the timing reflects poor judgement.
“So, what you are telling me
“So, what you are telling me is that not a single person involved with this video, all keenly aware of the arrest of NRHS faculty member for calling and sending text messages seeking a relationship with a student outside the classroom, considered for a moment while writing, rehearsing, filming, editing and publishing a music video depicting students offering their phone number to their teacher, asking that the teacher call them and signing the note “XOXO” or “hugs and kisses” any connection whatsoever between what is depicted in the video and the Anton case.”
Are you not making a connection here? Are you not saying that the DEPICTION of students giving their esteemed hardworking teacher (which in itself is COMPLETELY taking the video out of context)is a re-run of the Anton case?
The video was made not to give students a platform to express their ‘want’ to give their teacher their phone number, but as an action of jumping on the bandwagon of ‘Call Me Maybe’ videos. Go on youtube, watch a few of the videos…maybe you can write articles about those too, huh?
context?
“Are you not saying that the DEPICTION of students giving their esteemed hardworking teacher (which in itself is COMPLETELY taking the video out of context)is a re-run of the Anton case?”
No, I am not saying that. In fact you have it backwards.
When you write COMPLETELY taking the video out of context what is your understanding of the word “context”?
What you are insisting on is that there is no connection between this video and the arrest of Anton. OK, fine. I hear you. But that is the context. It has been a major news event, it has been widely discussed in New Rochelle, at the high school in particular. We are all aware of it, right?
I see the dictionary definition is “the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc.”
The circumstances that surround this particular event is the arrest of a NRHS faculty member for soliciting a student at the school. That is the context in which this video was made and uploaded to YT.
Once you understand this, you will come to see that I am placing the video in context and you and others are insisting that the video be considered out of context.
Taken out of context, you are right, there is no major issue of bad judgement or poor timing.
Taken in context, which is what I am doing, I am saying it is not a good idea to publish the image of a NRHS faculty member holding up a sign that says “call me” with a phone number while lip-syncing to the lyrics “It’s hard to look right/At you baby, But here’s my number/So call me, maybe?” in the days after the arrest of another faculty member on charges that she obtained the phone number of a student and began calling and texting the student for the purpose of accomplishing a sexual act with the student.
To what does the line “It’s hard to look right/At you baby” refer?
Is the lyric conveying the idea that the singer has had bad vision? Or that it is really bright and they have to squint? Or that she in a dimly lit room? Or is that she is romantically interested in the person she is singing about and thus too shy to look the person directly in the eye? Or perhaps something else.
This and others are the context.
Excuse me Sir!
while I have consistently maintained that the video was in all likelihood of the innocent nature, you have to scratch your head and wonder if your building was just hit with news like the Anton Case, might it be wise to just curtail your video production?
Yes it was innocent, but it can be seen as kind of flirting with disaster.