COLORADO SPRINGS, CO—A new hopeful for a teaching position at Palmer High School was recently interviewed when the conversation took on a concerning tone.
Connor Haskins, 27, had flown in from Sacramento in the hopes of obtaining the position closer to his home town of Denver. He explains that he felt the interview was going very well, until about the time that the interviewer began to try to inform Haskins about the area.
"So, I'm not sure if you are very familiar with the Springs," he reportedly said. "But it's a pretty conservative place." Although Haskins does not think of himself as very political, he noted the odd tone that the interview seemed to take at this moment, seeming to be more of a warning than simply informative.
The interviewer went on, "Now, don't let that make you nervous. I've lived here for 15 years, and have been just fine. I've even brought up two children while here, and they're doing pretty well." Haskins, who has no particular political leanings or biases, suddenly became concerned about them, given the reverent tone of voice the interviewer adopted for his caution.
"There are a lot of areas of the city that are perfectly fine, you just sort of have to keep a watchful eye," the interviewer continued.
It is, of course, against the law to outright ask a job applicant their political affiliations, however, Haskins got the clear message that he should avoid being exposed to any conservative ideas that may affect his ability to do the job of teaching 13-year-olds basic algebra.
"Boy, this sounds pretty serious," commented Haskins after leaving the interview. "I wonder if there is some sort of way to know if I'm in a safe area. Are there like, signs, or do those people wear some sort of badge on their sleeves or something? How can I know I'm safe?"
As of press time, Haskins had been offered the job, but had asked for 3 days to think about whether to accept. He is currently weighing the risks.