The phys ed AP had a liquor cabinet in his bottom desk draw for after school parties, the drama director hosted the most exciting parties. He emptied the furniture from his small brownstone apartment and invited the entire school, along with all his acting friends and gay friends from outside the school. Everyone intermingled. It was a blast. The school was full of heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals. My favorite was O. He was so sexual nothing breathing was safe in his vicinity but he never forced his interests on anyone else. There were several husband and wife teachers as well as teachers married to former students. Everyone stayed away from room 223 in the morning because we all knew the bible teacher was involved in some pretty heavy stuff with the baseball coach. They were both married to other people. Special after school parties always involved lots of drinking, most often led by the APO who looked like he walked around with a stick up his butt during school hours. After, he was a hoot.
None of these activities affected our teaching or our interaction with the students. In fact,our camaraderie after school hours helped us work together better and in turn we did more for our students. We ran student-faculty basketball games, put on faculty shows to raise money and were always available to give our students extra help and encouragement. We worked together and knew what kids were doing in classes outside of our own.
Reading about Mulgrew and the guidance counselor doing it on the work table reminded me of the coach and bible teacher which brought back all the other memories of the school I began teaching in. I don't know if the story about Mulgrew is true and, unless he sold out the union to protect himself, I don't care. He didn't do anything countless other individuals have been doing for years. As for the cushy job at the union for the guidance counselor, almost everyone with a cushy job knew someone or did something to get it. That's life. It might not be fair, but it is what it is.
