Professional Ethics Case Study

Here is the scenario posed on:

Red Orbit. (2007 , August) . Teachers’ Ethical Dilemmas: What Would You Do? . Retrieved from
http://www.redorbit.com/news/education/1141680/teachers_ethical_dilemmas_what_would_you_do/

"Petty Behavior

Ms. Garcia and Ms. Ming are both sixth-grade English teachers. Ms. Garcia, a new teacher at the school, has additional certification in gifted education. Ms. Ming has been a certified English teacher for a number of years. Ms. Ming has been overheard making negative comments about Ms. Garcia's teaching ability and about Ms. Garcia personally in the faculty lounge. Mr. Daniels, the sixth-grade history teacher, has heard Ms. Ming making negative comments about Ms. Garcia on more than one occasion and he knows that these comments are false. He also knows that Ms. Ming has been angry that Ms. Garcia was asked to teach the advanced English class. This is a class Ms. Ming had expressed a desire to teach. He believes this contributes to her negativity toward Ms. Garcia. What should he do? What would you do?"

I am sure we have all heard one something like this before. What would I do?

It is hard sometimes to step back from a conversation that has an ethical issue due to just not wanting to involve yourself. It could impact your own job or relationship with your fellow instructors, however, is someone else's misery worth it? Ms. Ming is clearly in the wrong here. Talking behind peoples back in a negative way is unacceptable as every deserves the chance to stand up for themselves. Ms. Ming is rightfully upset about losing out on the teaching gig, she may be more qualified and might deserve it more but the way she should go about it is taking it up with the heads of the school or program rather than gossiping to instructors that have no way to change it.

If I were in Mr. Daniels shoes I would have done the same. Take a complaint to the people that can do something about it. He could easily have fallen into the same trap and started gossip about Ms. Ming. A vicious circle would have started which could have resulted in it impacting many jobs and relationships.

To be honest I am not sure what our procedures manual says about situations like these. There are so many ethical dilemma scenarios it's hard to say what one would do in all of them.

Be well read (as I should be and will follow up on the ethics manual) and do the ethical right thing.

Here is a handy dandy guide to whistleblowing in the workplace. Enjoy
https://hr.blr.com/HR-news/HR-Administration/Workplace-Ethics/Infographic-enable-whistleblowing-ethics-work/