FOR MANY, TEACHER'S POT IS SMOKING GUN

The smoke is clearing from the stampede of reaction I got after
Sunday's column about the marijuana-puffing Wauwatosa East High
School math teacher who lost his job.

Roger Payne got a raw deal, I wrote, because lurid allegations about
drug dealing, cocaine, parties for underage kids, and child porn were
widely reported but never charged in court. In the end, Payne got 15
days in jail and probation for being a pot smoker and filing a false
police report, but his 25-year career was ruined.

Here's what some readers had to say, starting with the negative reactions:

"In my opinion, this guy got off easy. He has been breaking the law
for over 20 years and finally got caught," said Todd Thelen.

"'Mildly illegal.' That's a good one," Walter Strahota said, quoting
my words about pot. "Is that like being sort of pregnant? He's a bad
role model for kids and got about what he deserved, in my opinion."

"Payne filed a false police report, which resulted in a mess of his
own creation," Lee Downs said.

"You don't call the cops 'cause someone stole your drugs or your drug
money. That was so stupid even a stoner like me is embarrassed," said
a stoner who knows you also don't sign letters to newspapers saying
you're a stoner.

"Then there's the seminal decision Mr. Payne made to smoke pot with a
former student in the first place, one that had been expelled from
Waukesha North, and one who would later be the root cause of his
problems," said Paul Jonas, who thought my defense of Payne was
"wildly off the mark."

"Teachers are public figures and are role models, and need to be held
to higher standards," said Kim Schraufnagel. "It is unfortunate that
charges were released to the media before being investigated, but
instead of just talking about that, Mr. Stingl made Mr. Payne out to
be a hero that was mistreated."

"I am a teacher. I found your article alarming. I think you have
attempted to lower the standard for what a teacher should be in the
eyes of society," said Patrick Shields.

"What he did to his brain, his abilities to reason, his judgment and
his values was not trivial and certainly demonstrates that using
marijuana is not a pastime without consequences," said Milton Findley.

Several of Payne's former students and others came to his defense.

Portia Turner called him the best math teacher she ever had, adding,
"I think that it is really sad that Mr. Payne may not find a job
because of the lies that someone decided to tell. None of Mr. Payne's
students, myself included, care that he smoked pot. It never affected
his teaching."

"I graduated from East a few years ago, and I can add my name to the
long list of students who can attest to Mr. Payne's superiority as a
teacher. I only took a few classes in high school that I still
remember as academically rigorous and fascinating, and his was one,"
said Anna Joranger.

"He clearly is paying a disproportionate price. Aside from the
personal tragedy involved, I wonder how much we as taxpayers invested
in this process, from police to the courts and others in the system,"
said Dave Denomie.

"In too many instances, things are blown way out of proportion, and
there's no going back. Once it's in the newspaper, it's gospel,"
Linda Benes said.

"Legalize pot and just like everything else, tax it. Probably just
took care of the national deficit," said Brad Wyss.