Get a load of this GREAT news quote: "We had Korn, then Harry Potter, now Laurie Jordan." Er, who the heck is Laurie Jordan?! She is, or should I say was, a teaching aide in Michigan, apparently. And the quote comes courtesy of the parent of a kid who attends Roosevelt Elementary School in Michigan. The bosses of the school, the Zeeland school district, have a reputation for toughness. First they banned Korn t-shirts. Then they banned Harry Potter readings in the classroom. And now? An employee, Laurie Jordan, was fired because she refused to learn to give insulin shots.

Jordan's excuse: a fear of needles. School administrators decided all school employees should acquire the know-how to give emergency care to diabetic students, which of course includes learning how to administer insulin shots. Jordan said no, thanks. On Monday, a big crowd turned up to a public meeting in support of Jordan. The general consensus seems to be that firing her was a tad on the excessive side. Present at the meeting were school board members, school employees and community members. "A show of support like that is overwhelming," said Jordan after the meeting.

Needle phobia is fairly common. This woman is not a nurse, she has no medical training, and she does not want to undergo this kind of training. Parents want their kids to be protected. Giving an insulin shot is a pretty straightforward procedure. On the other hand, should employers be allowed to force employees to take on this responsibility? It's tricky.

To read more, check out this article in the Grand Rapids Press.