Eliot Stein tormented Cathy Seipp on her deathbed
Or at least he tried to, but her friends and family made sure she was never made aware of the sick actions of her daughter’s former schoolteacher.
As I say in the article, there is no law against being a jerk - nor should there be - but “It’s a First Amendment right” is a coward’s excuse for trying to hurt a dying woman and her grief-stricken daughter. There are lots of things in life against which there are no laws, but which are heartless, meanspirited, and downright disgusting things to do to another human being. If you consider the US Constitution your moral guidebook, you need more help than any lawyer can offer.
Eliot Stein refers to himself as an “internet pioneer” (in gutless actions?) and takes great pride in the lengths he went to in order to distract Cathy from her waning health and to try to get her to focus her attention on him (”I WILL NOT BE IGNORED!”), which says almost as much about his character as you need to know. Eliot Stein, while Maia’s schoolteacher, also posted nasty comments on Maia and Cathy’s blog comments; when Maia’s school got rid of him, he came to work in a tuxedo on his last day and made sure to tell every class that his departure was Maia’s fault, which he must have known would lead to her being bullied and humiliated (which is exactly what happened).
Like I said, Eliot Stein is a real peach. And yet he still persists in the belief that Cathy could say or do anything which would make him seem more unfit to be around children than his own professed actions - of which he boasts with considerable pride. Would you want your kids to spend any amount of time around this man, let alone be stuck with him as a schoolteacher?
Filed under: Life
I didn’t know the part about him going around on his last day blaming Maia. It’s amazing he lasted at that school a whole five weeks. How do they vet their teachers, check for a pulse?
I like how in just about every quote he refers to his own “incredible sense of humor”.
What he did what classless and disgraceful. To try and veil it as humor instead of the cruel act is was makes it even more insulting. Jackie, my heart goes out to you and Cathy’s family.
There’s a First Amendment right to free speech, but that’s a different thing from defamation.
Heh. Not to be petty, you know, but someone with a bad combover (are there any good ones?) is not going to be a pioneer of anything.
And Jackie, I’m so sorry for your loss. Cathy sounds like a firecracker. I wish I’d had a chance to meet her.
Amy, I think you meant to leave that comment at LF’s site.