Update: Mark Tamanaha was unjustly fired from Rio Lindo Academy

As you may have heard by now, Mark Tamanaha was fired by Rio’s Administration and stripped of his SDA teaching credentials. This is not only a huge loss to the Rio community, but to the broader SDA education system. Current and future students have lost an irreplaceable teacher and mentor. It’s a shame to once again see the SDA church ignore the harm done to students and disregard their safety. This sends a deeply troubling message that advocating for students is punishable, but perpetuating harm is tolerable. 

Rio Lindo has gone against the mission of Seventh-day Adventist schools, which is to provide a “whole-person focus, striving to enrich the students’ minds and bodies, which also includes spirituality and socio-emotional growth.” As a community, we must hold them accountable for their actions. In response to Rio’s actions, I pledge to do the following:

• I will not donate to Rio Lindo Academy
• I will not recommend the school to prospective students or families
• I will not participate in alumni events or reunions
• I will not consider Rio Lindo Academy as an option for future students in my family
• I will speak out about the harm this decision has caused

Rio can never make us forget the teacher that Mark Tamanaha was to us. I hope these words continue to be a reminder of his legacy:

ENRICH STUDENTS’ MINDS

Numerous studies indicate that math is critical to the long-term success of students. In fact, high school math has been shown to be a strong predictor of career success and future earnings, not just in STEM-related vocations but also in business and social sciences. It is critical that students have a highly qualified, patient, invested math teacher to ensure that ALL students will leave high school feeling confident about their math skills so they can enjoy these benefits. Mark Tamanaha has been known to put in the extra effort to tutor students during designated study hall hours long after other teachers have gone home. And many students attribute their success in college-level math courses to his classes.

ENRICH STUDENTS’ BODIES

Mark Tamanaha has also coached many sports and encouraged students who may have been inclined to shy away from sports to participate. Many coaches treat sports as a highly competitive, high-stakes activity, only focusing on the students who possess “natural talent” or had previous lessons. However, Tamanaha always made sure that every athlete felt involved, valuable, and had fun. Exercise is an essential part of physical and mental health, and it shouldn’t only be accessible to students deemed “athletic.”

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

One of the most important lessons students should learn at a Seventh-day Adventist high school is how to form a personal relationship with Christ. Prior to high school, most religious education a young person receives centers around learning Bible stories and reciting Bible verses. High school typically marks the start of students forming a more personal relationship with God and learning how the stories and verses they memorized are meaningful to them as individuals. Mark Tamanaha always made sure that those lessons and conversations were not limited to formal religion classes or worship/church. He does not shy away from difficult questions or conversations when students are questioning their faith and helps students new to Adventism learn more about it. He also makes sure that students from other faith traditions are welcomed without judgment. Going to a predominantly Adventist school when you observe a different religion (or none at all) can be incredibly isolating and those students deserve to have faculty members who make sure they can practice faith without being ostracized. 

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL GROWTH

The current cohort of students is facing the worst mental health crisis of any generation. However, having a trusted adult at school can improve overall well-being and reduce risk-taking behaviors associated with poor mental health. Mark Tamanaha has not only cultivated a safe place to share their struggles, concerns, and challenges, but also provides students with the skill and confidence to navigate difficult situations in the future.

I want the Rio community to be a place that I am proud of. Unfortunately, the actions of the administration make me ashamed to be associated with an institution that has such blatant disregard for a faculty member who truly prioritizes students. 

I hope this petition makes it abundantly clear that Mark Tamanaha lives up to the principles of a good educator and has consistently gone above and beyond to support students long after they have left his classroom.

I urge you to remember that the rules and policies in place at Rio Lindo are meant to ensure that students are led closer to Christ and kept safe from harm. As you consider your next steps, I ask you to remain grounded in that purpose and reflect on the guidance of Ellen G. White, "Sometimes a man who has been placed in responsibility as a leader gains the idea that he is in a position of supreme authority, and that all his brethren, before making advance moves, must first come to him for permission to do that which they feel should be done. Such a man is in a dangerous position. He has lost sight of the work of a true leader among God's people. Instead of acting as a wise counselor, he assumes the prerogatives of an exacting ruler. God is dishonored by every such display of authority and self-exaltation. No man standing in his own strength is ever to be mind and judgment for another man whom the Lord is using in His work. No one is to lay down man-made rules and regulations to govern arbitrarily his fellow laborers who have a living experience in the truth."