Job Discussion Forums

[CJF]

I spotted an advert on a ESL job web-site in early April this year for teachers at his school in the Philippines, and duly sent of my CV with a covering letter. I have spent some time in the Philippines in the past, I also have many friends there and thought this would be a good opportunity to work there. After hearing nothing for around 6 weeks I sent a short note asking if he had received my application and could he give me the curteosy of a reply even if negative, as it may be that he hadn't received my original e-mail. He replied that he had rejected my application as I was not qualified to teach at his wonderful school "being just an English speaker is not enough" he said, despite my CV which showed I have an MA (Applied Linguistics) from a respected UK Uni. as well as a 400 hr. Dip. in ELTA, virtually the same quals. as his current staff and even himself, and I had several years teaching experience in Asia.
He replied in a very sarcastic way and later, sent a series of abusive, intimidatory and foulmouthed e-mails.
Here is a selection from the e-mails this School Director and so called man of letters sent me after he had sarcastically pointed out that I had spelt 'curteosy' wrongly, which he then proceeded to misspell 'couresty', and when I pointed out that it can be spelt as I had done, but never as he had:

"You are the very type of Brit teacher that most schools avoid. Simply because you look down your little snobbish nose at others and treat them as less. You will not fit well in the Philippines."


I had said nothing to merit that response. He obviously doesn't like 'Brits'
He followed this a few minutes later with this goad:

"By the way my teachers here got a great laugh at your email. They would tear you apart if you were here. One of my teachers is retired British military of the Scotish Black and Tan with 12 years of service in Northern Ireland."

I reminded him that there is no such Scotish Regiment as 'Black & Tans' it would be The Black Watch, ( if this fictional Scot had been a Black & Tan, the notorious mercenary thugs sent to Ireland to beat and murder Irishmen, he would be well over 100 years old by now.!) He then accused me of abusing his staff penning this hostile gem:

"Watch your mouth A**hole!"
"First you ask for a negative reply,then you complain about it, then you start to criticize me and my staff. And if your so great then why are you teaching in a vocational training school as opposed to in a Chinese University. By the way my wife family is still in China and her father is with the Chinese Public Security Bureau. One of the leaders in Jiangsu Province. So I would watch my mouth if I were you, Mr. Fitz or a meeting with them can be arranged very easily. Know others first before shooting off one's loud arrogant Brit mouth."

I never complained about rejection, or critised his staff, just his arrogance and inaccuracy, and never 'angrily'. I had no problem in him not accepting my application, but there are ways of corresponding with a fellow teacher and to disregard my quals. was ignorant.

More threats followed swiftly after I told him his conduct was unprofessional and ungentlemanly for a man in his position. Here is another of his profane rants after I told him that I visit the Philippines on holiday each year and maybe I would have a meeting with him.

"If you try that I will introduce you to my friendds the PNP(Philippine National Police). you know nothing about me. So F**k you and your emails I will notify your school and the Foreign Affairs Office of the Public Security Bureau so they can revoke your visa and fire you. Then I will file a liable suit against you through my lawyer in China. You can go to a Chinese jail for such as your writings."

Big man huh. Can't even spell libel correctly, (and I hadn't libeled him anyway.)

As you can see, not a nice sort at all. I told him that if he did not stop sending me abusive, goading and threatening e-mails, I would post his correspondence on the teachers forums, so he obviously posted his lies about me on another board to pre-empt my exposing his behaviour.
Fortunately, I am working completely legally here in China and I have given a file with all the e-mails, mine and his, to my FAO, so if he does contact my present employer he will be ignored.

His vindictive & hostile behaviour cannot have arisen overnight, so there are probably others who have experienced his nasty character out in the ESL world. He says he was here in China for a number of years, but he never seemed to stay in a job very long.
Perhaps they would like to contribute to this thread.

Mr. Scanlon will undoubtedly arrange some favourable posts for himself saying what a great chap he is etc. It�s the sort of thing his type does.

I won't bore you with any more of his profanity and vicious threats. I'm sure you can make up your own mind. The comments to him in my mails contained no profanity, threats or anger, but he responded only with abuse.

I hope this serves to warn others who may be thinking of applying to him for a position. My advice is, don�t, he is a foulmouthed bully.
Especially if you are British, he doesn�t like us. !

[saint57]

After his first reply you should have blocked his e-mail and moved on.