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Subscribe to RSSA school district in New Jersey is taking the first steps that could lead to the firing of a high school English teacher whose anti-gay remarks on Facebook sparked a heated debate over free speech rights.
The Township of Union school board formally filed tenure charges against Viki Knox in late December, a move that could lead to her termination. "Every student, no matter what race, creed, color or sexual orientation ought to be able to come to school and feel comfortable in a learning environment that's welcoming and nurturing," School Board President Ray Perkins told nj.com.
In an interview with msnbc.com on Thursday, Perkins said the case is now in the hands of the New Jersey Department of Education, which will investigate and ultimately make a decision on Knox's future. "If the assertions are proven to be true," he said, "it warrants termination."
A phone call by msnbc.com to Township of Union school Superintendent Patrick Martin wasn't immediately returned.
In September, Knox was placed on leave after she reportedly posted on Facebook that homosexuality is "a perverted spirit" and a "sin" that "breeds like cancer," nj.com reported.
"Why parade your unnatural immoral behaviors before the rest of us?" a woman identified as Viki Knox wrote on Facebook. "I DO NOT HAVE TO TOLERATE ANYTHING OTHERS WISH TO DO. I DO HAVE TO LOVE AND SPEAK AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT!"
Across the country, school districts are grappling with how to handle social media use among employees, particularly teachers. Administrators worry about offensive or controversial comments or inappropriate relationships on Facebook between students and teachers.
Several cases have made national headlines including:
- ABronx high school principal whose Facebook photo of her with a shirtless man prompted many to question her judgement.
- A Chicago teacher who posted a photo of a young student on her Facebook page and then mocked her hairstyle.
- A N.J. teacher who posted on Facebook that the children in her class are "future criminals" and that she feels like a "warden."
New York City, which has the nation’s largest school district, has been working for months on a social media policy, which could be in place by spring, according to the New York Times. In Missouri, a new law will require all districts to have a social media policy in place by March. Other districts, like Dayton Public Schools in Ohio, are in the process of introducing policies that bans teachers from friending, messaging or texting students.
“I see it as protecting teachers,” David A. Romick, president of the Dayton Education Association, told the New York Times in December. “For a relationship to start with friending or texting seems to be heading down the wrong path professionally.”
Perkins told msnbc.com that the Township of Union school board isn't formally talking about any social media policies that would restrict the use of social media between teachers and students. But the school attorney has spoken to employees about "appropriate interactions" on Facebook.
"It's a difficult issue," said Perkins, who noted that social media space is no different than other places where teachers might encounter students, whether in a school hallway or off campus. "We trust teachers to treat students with respect and to deal with them appropriately," he said.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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You have the right to speak your mind. You also have the right to get fired over it if your job is dependent upon keeping an inclusive environment.
If I post tacky things on a public forum without any anonimity, then I would be fired. That's how the professional world works. If she wants to be verbally bigoted I suggest she changes her job to that of a southern minister.
I couldn't have said it better.
Yes, there are people who are going to whine that we're allowed "Freedom of Speech". Yes, that's true. The government can't infringe on that right. However, private employers CAN limit what you say. You're free to say whatever you want, as the Constitution allows, but you might also be free to seek employment elsewhere.
I have to agree EnqEsq. She has the right to say what she wants, but she needs to be cautious since she is considered a professional and an influence on others.
I am curious as to how this situation would be if a homosexual teacher said the Christians were wrong in what they believed. Would the teacher be fired?
EngEsq wrote "If I post tacky things on a public forum without any anonimity, then I would be fired. That's how the professional world works."
The working environment is overly oppressive. Why do schools tolerate female supremacy in teachers? I would like to know if a teacher posted "Boys are stupid. Throw ricks at them" on a Facebook page, would she be fired?
Bigotry is bigotry is bigotry. Willful ignorance aside, any individual is entitled to their bigotry, intolerance or xenophobia.
They are not however entitled to vent their bigotry, intolerance or xenophobia on the Internet and then enter a public school classroom and teach my children. This is just Common Sense 101.
Very likely.
Also very likely (unless it were perceived as a joke gone wrong since it is pretty hard to take that seriously).
In addition to the free speech issues here,I don't like the whole, invasion of privacy that accompanies terminating someone for what they do/say off the clock. I understand that when you post something on line, you could make the argument that it's no longer private, however it's still a part of her private life. It seems that this is becoming more common and more intrusive. Keeping your job should be based on how you do your job, bottomline. It's none of her employers business what she thinks, feels, or does outside of work, unless she's doing it with or in front of a student, or comitting a crime, or seriously breaching ethical standards.
The whole internet, social media world is such a grey area. A lot of times you can't pick up on the subtle, underlying tones that put things in appropriate contexts, which makes it easy to misconstrue what's being meant by a comment. It's also becoming a valid, common and sometimes necessary way to communicate with people. What would happen if her employer had been tapping her phones or reading her private emails??? There's not much difference anymore, between those and social media.
That being said, this woman is stupid. Either lock your page down, don't befriend anyone you don't trust completely, and if there's any doubt in your mind don't freaking post it.
Yet a professor at Kent State University yelled "Death to Israel" during a speech by an Israeli diplomat. Kent State didn't do anything and claimed he had freedom of speech and tenure. Double standards.
Not double standards - different schools. Take it up with Kent State, it has nothing to do with Township of Union School District.
Further there is some degree of differing standards for HS teachers versus college professors. Although what the professor said is pretty deplorable, and if I were the chancellor of Kent State, that professor might be looking for work now.
Apples and oranges. That prof was talking about politics.
Imagine if you or your child were gay - and your child attended the school where that teacher taught.
either we have freedom of speach or we dont--plain and simple.
clearly you're simple
Peter - I'm afraid Shade is right. Read comment #1.2
Yes Peter we do have freedom of speech ... the GOVERNMENT cannot infringe upon it. That doesn't extend to your employers.
To put it in simple terms ... you can't be put in jail for inappropriate comments, but you can certainly be fired for them.
BUT the gov't is infringing on the rights of a citizen as the employer is the gov't in this case--the school district is a governmental body supported by the taxes of the citizens.
The line is fuzzy for sure, we can't have the gov't discriminating against someone (the teacher can be considered gov't while acting as teacher) but we can't have the gov't suppressing 1st amendment rights--in this case the teacher's if she was expressing personal opinion while not on work time.
Easiest way out would be this, were the posts made while on gov't time? Have there been any complaints of students? If yes, then she'd need to go as while she was acting as gov't she was practicing decidedly repugnant things. If no, leave her be.
I'm sure some will say that it doesn't matter if it was on or off school time, she is always a teacher. Really? How many crimes do you see our elected officials get away with committing w/o any punishment? Our prior presidents come to mind... 3 out of the last 5 really.
Case law disagrees with you. We have all sorts of restrictions on free speech, such as time place and manner, fighting words and incitement- just to name a few.
Secondly, this women's speech is not being inhibited; however, if she chooses the way she wishes she will lose her job. It is not an issue of freedom of speech.
EngEsq. Thanks for cutting to the point. If I were a teacher I would stay the hell away from Facebook, Twitter, etc. It never seems to end well and you never know what type of stuff may come up even in an innocent fashion that implicates you or makes you look bad.
All four of the teachers listed in this article basically did something no different than if they had said the same thing in a hallway at their school. They PUBLICLY announced contempt for some of their students and as such have permanently DAMAGED their credibility for impartiality in teaching AND GRADING with at least part of the student body. They are perfectly free to hold such vile opinions, but by EXPRESSING them, they can no longer be seen as impartial instructors, and they all have to go.
God save me from blind ignorance.
she will be fired for her disagreement with homo beliefs. but if she espouses and promotes it, it is okey. she might even get promoted. if i say "abortion is more evil than murder" liberals will insult me, call me names, and want me dead. this is what is wrong with American now. If one leans toward what is right and true, he/she is considered a "mass murder." even worse, a "serial killer" and execution couldn't come soon enough.
have you seen a movie with Sylvester Stallone and Wesly Snipes called Demolition Man ??? The GAY culture and beihavor ruled the Los Angeles. Well look like that we are going toward that world because when comes to the gay issues gay run media can't tolerate it??????????
At least we will still have Taco Bell!
How absurd 'sailor' and 'johns' comments are. As a school teacher for 27 years my experience is that there simply are gay people. People don't grow up and choose to be gay or straight they simply are born one way or the other. I'm entrusted to help ensure all my students learn and hopefully grow to be well adjusted, healthy adults. As a mother and a teacher I deplore these halfwit teachers who betray the trust which their community has given them. Of course they should be fired! They are publicly condemning their students who are the children of the parents in the community who pay their salaries! Professionally they are so far out of line it's an embarrassment and no, they do not have the right to make negative public comments about their pupils or colleagues without repercussion. Good God, is their no end to the hateful self indulgence we'll tolerate?
Katie- people do choose to be gay even gay people have said that
also i stand beside the teacher even though she should have said it nicer our jobs as Christan's is to love the sinner not the sin
two things:
1) The scientific consensus is that very little choice is involved in sexual orientation. Those that have the ability to choose are bisexual.
2) Who cares if it's a choice or not? The innateness versus choice was not an issue in the legal arguments of Loving v Virginia, and don't really apply to gay sex or marriage today.
This is stepping all over free speech.! who cares what this lady does in her free time away from school. it obviously has NOTHING to do with her work. it is possible for people who don't like the way others are to interact with respect.
It has everything to do with her work, Tina.
If I were gay, and I found that my kid's (and yes, gays often have children) teacher considered me a pervert, I would not want her teaching my child. Her prejudice can affect how she teaches my kid, how she grades my kid, and she could affect my very relationship with my kid.
And what if I had a gay child? It would be even worse.
Tina - read comment 1.2
Don't get on Facebook. Simple. If you do not want all your utterances repeated do not type them. I am sure if I typed my employer was a biaaattttccccchhhhtch and ,mean and nasty, I think I would be fired the next day. this is not a private forum. She has a duty to uphold. What if she had said I think all Christians should be rounded up and killed. What would the response be, Hopefully the same. It's called boundaries. another idiot lewves the gene pool. Next!
Would a teacher be fired if she did not allow men in her class and preached that the world needs a reduction of men to 10%? No. That's Prof. Mary Daly of Boston College.
Would a teacher be fired if he did not allow women in hisclass and preached that the world needs a reduction of women to 10%?
A faculty member of a post-secondary institution is quite different than a public school teacher, Vincent. A whole different ball game. A college student can choose which classes to take, is an adult and can personally go to the administration if s/he feels that a prof has discriminated against him/her, and so on. College is not compulsory, one can choose which college to attend, etc. And I don't that a college instructor can decide to ban one sex from his/her class....i
And the particular example you chose is a private institution (Jesuit). A private Christian elementary or secondary school can teach that homosexuality is wrong.
FUDGE PACKERS UNITE! LOL HOHOHOHOH HAHAHAH. OMG My comments will not be tolerated and won't be posted. I'll be banned OMG! Oh Nooooo the sky is falling because I said fudge packers Ohhhhhh. I like fudge, and because I like fudge you should include me in everything. I wanna marry like you. I wanna speak freedom like you when it's convenient. I wanna work where you work. I wanna live where you live. I wanna be free to love anything I want because I am human. Oh I wanna do everything because I am human and I have human rights. waaaaa waaaaa booowhooo. Im gay. Im confused. Im born this way. Im born that way. I cant help who I love. boohooo. I want attention. ohhh please give me attention please, please. I am a cry baby fudger. waaa waaa boooowhooooo. My comments are insensitive and non inclusive so the gay community won't let me post here waaa waaaa even though I am gay. Yeah waaaa waaaa COLLAPSE!!
Humans are gay. OHHH JOY!
Got that right.
The thought police have entered the building. Now you have to watch whatever you say to protect your livelihood. What about her rights? Why is she to be fired when it was not directed at anyone in particular, was not at work, was not on a work computer.
I have always tried to do My best at a "live and let live" sort of approach. But I have to admit that I am getting really tired of not being able to voice My beliefs and feelings without a dozen azzholes all chanting I am a bigot or idiot.
Just because you do not agree with Me does not make my feelings or beliefs any less real or important to me.
I love reading these forums, they are so full of @!$%#e, people say grow up, your an idiot, etc etc. THIS is adult behavior? This is the best response to another persons beliefs that you can come up with?
It was meant to be that the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. That is how it was set up. So someone explain to me how the needs of the MANY are now outweighed by the few???
Really would like a serious answer.
Suppose you were white and lived in a black neighborhood and your kids were among the very f ew white kids in teheir school. And then you found that one of the teachers at the school wrote negative comments about whites on her facebook page?
Same thing.
SShadow - read comment 1.2
yank- black and white are races not gays is they were tell me where they have a country that has nothing but gays in it
a girl with a heart,
Nobody is saying black people and gay people are identical, only that the arguments leveled against black civil rights are entirely applicable to the plight of gay people. The analogy is sound, and yet you get hung up on the fact that black people and gay people are not identical.
Free speech is granted only to those who wish to impose their immoral views on the rest of us and muslims. Everyone else must shut up.
Are fags, queers and lesbos that sensitive that we cannot speak out while they yell and parade in our faces???
A public school teacher cannot be prejudiced against her students or the parents of her students and do her job correctly. That is what this is about.
Michael - read comment 1.2
that's what the left wing liberals do and want! they can spout off yell scream terrorize
protest lie cause violence and hate but the right side has to be quiet! liberals are all hypocrites!
first i don't facebook or put out info anywhere on internet but if this was a big mouth liberal
spouting about racism, gay marriage, abortion, illegal immigration blahblah nothing would
be said! the new liberal media and government big shots are trying to tear down freedom
and rights against all conservatives and republicans! this has been going on it's time to stop!
we can start by voting out OBOMBO and his chicago socialist thugs and big unions and liberal
left wing communists that have taken over washington and the media!
If a liberal were a school teacher in a public high school and ranted on her facebook page that christians were the scum of the earth and shouldn't be tolerated then she would be fired as well. No double standards are applied.